Chapter 67

Chapter 67

It was the first day of the county-level examination. After seeing Chen Qinghuai into the examination hall, Liang Boqing found a teahouse to sit and drink tea.

It was a rare fine day, with temperatures noticeably higher than the previous few days. The snow on the rooftops had begun to melt, dripping rhythmically from the eaves.

The teahouse was filled with many people, mostly relatives and friends of the examinees, all chatting about the county-level exam.

The county-level exam consisted of three sessions, each lasting a day, held over three consecutive days. If the weather remained as good as today, Qinghuai would have no problem performing well as long as he stayed focused.

While drinking tea, two people came over to share his table, and Liang Boqing gladly agreed.

Noticing Liang Boqing's refined demeanor, they initiated a conversation. "Sir, are you also here accompanying someone for the county-level exam?"

"Yes, I’m here with my nephew."

"What a coincidence! We’re also here for our family’s children. We’re not sure if they’ll pass this time."

From their conversation, Liang Boqing learned that they had traveled from another town. This was their second attempt at the county-level exam; the first time, their child had been too nervous and performed poorly. This time, they were determined to succeed—if they didn’t pass, they wouldn’t try again next year.

Liang Boqing stroked his beard and said, "The county-level exam isn’t the hard part. What’s truly difficult are the Prefectural Exam and the Provincial Exam—those are like thousands of troops trying to cross a single log bridge."

"Oh, we wouldn’t dream that high. We’d be thrilled if our child could just become a *xiucai* (qualified scholar). Then he could work as a clerk in town, marry, and have children. That would put our minds at ease."

Their aspirations were practical, but Chen Qinghuai was destined for a different path. As his disciple, if he couldn’t even pass the Provincial Exam to become a *juren* (provincial graduate), Liang Boqing would become a laughingstock among his peers.

He waited until noon when the two men invited him to share a bowl of noodles.

"No, thank you. This is my nephew’s first time taking the county-level exam. If he runs into any trouble and can’t find me, I’d better stay here and wait."

The two men cupped their hands in respect and left.

In the afternoon, the weather suddenly turned. The sky clouded over and grew gloomy.

As the sky darkened, Liang Boqing’s expression grew increasingly worried. It seemed his fears were coming true.

A north wind, biting like a knife, cut through the air, howling through the doors and windows. Many people around him wore similarly anxious expressions.

If the next two days of exams brought weather like this, he wouldn’t dare let Qinghuai continue. Falling seriously ill wouldn’t be worth it just for the status of *xiucai*.

*

"Almost there, almost there. Push a little harder, Master."

Wang Ying clutched the sheets, his vision swimming from the pain. His clothes were soaked with sweat, and his body trembled uncontrollably, whether from pain or cold, he couldn’t tell.

Li Shi stood by, anxiously shedding tears. Though she had given birth to three children herself, she had never seen anything as difficult as Wang Ying’s labor. She had heard that men giving birth had a harder time than women, and seeing it firsthand was heart-wrenching.

Outside, Chen Qingyan couldn’t bear the wait any longer and began pounding on the door. "Mother, how is A Ying?"

"Not yet! Just wait a little longer!"

As darkness fell, seven or eight candles were lit in the room. The two midwives were also anxiously sweating.

They had delivered many children, but they had never encountered a situation as dangerous as Wang Ying’s.

He wasn’t due yet. Normally, the birth canal would dilate before the water broke. But because he had fallen and his water broke prematurely, his birth canal was dilating much more slowly.

"Ma’am, have someone prepare a bowl of sweetened egg soup for the Master. He needs energy, or he won’t have the strength to push later."

"Right away, right away!" Li Shi hurried out to instruct the servants to prepare food.

The three men outside immediately surrounded her. "Mother, how is our brother's spouse?"

Not daring to tell them it was a difficult birth, Li Shi only said, "It will take a little longer."

"Why is it taking so long? I can hear A Ying’s voice growing hoarse…"

"Don’t worry. Just wait quietly outside." Li Shi finished speaking and hurried back into the bedroom. By then, more than two hours had passed since Wang Ying’s water broke.

Soon after, the kitchen brought over hot, steaming bowls of sweetened egg soup—enough for everyone, not just Wang Ying.

Li Shi let the two midwives sit and rest while she helped Wang Ying sit up, feeding him spoonful after spoonful.

After finishing the bowl, Wang Ying felt a little strength returning to his body. Just as he was about to push, he felt a sudden gush of amniotic fluid from below.

"Oh no!" The two midwives immediately put down their bowls and rushed over.

"This is bad, this is bad. Why is there so much amniotic fluid suddenly?"

The other midwife felt Wang Ying’s belly, her expression grim. "There’s no other way. He has to deliver now…"

She didn’t dare say the rest: without amniotic fluid, the baby would suffocate if too much time passed. If the baby couldn’t be delivered, it might cost both their lives!

Wang Ying also sensed the danger. Gritting his teeth against the searing pain, he summoned all his energy and pushed downward.

One *ke* (15 minutes), two *ke* (30 minutes), three *ke* (45 minutes)…

"Almost there, almost there! The baby’s head is appearing!"

"Don’t give up, Master! Keep pushing!"

"Ah!!!" Wang Ying clutched the sheets in agony, his nails cracking, but he paid no attention. All he felt was as if his lower body were being torn in two.

Outside the door, Chen Qingyan’s eyes reddened. He rushed into the room. "A Ying, I’m here! I’m here with you!"

"You can’t help! Why are you in here?"

"I want to be with A Ying. No matter what, I have to be with him!"

Unable to persuade him otherwise, Li Shi let him stay.

Chen Qingyan knelt by the bed, holding Wang Ying’s hand and wiping the sweat off his brow. "We’re about to have our own child. Just a little more effort!"

Wang Ying, in unbearable pain, cursed through gritted teeth. "Dammit, it hurts so much... Chen Qingyan, if I ever have another child for you, I’ll be damned!"

"No more, we won’t have any more."

"Gah... ow..." Another wave of excruciating pain hit. Wang Ying clenched his teeth and pushed downward. Suddenly, he felt a release in his abdomen, as if something had slipped out, and his stomach instantly flattened.

"He’s born! He’s born!"

But after the brief moment of excitement, the expected cry of the baby never came. The room fell into an eerie silence.

Wang Ying lay on the bed, panting heavily. "The baby... where’s the baby? Let me see..."

Tears welled in Chen Qingyan’s eyes. "You should rest first."

Wang Ying already sensed something was wrong. "No, bring him to me!"

Li Shi turned away, crying silently. The two midwives also looked remorseful. It was a son, but unfortunately, he had been without air for too long in the womb and showed no signs of life when he was born.

"Quick, bring the child over!"

Chen Qingyan held him and said, "Don't look... once you see it, you'll never forget it for the rest of your life..."

"Let go of me, I can save him, I can bring him back to life. Hurry, bring the child over!"

Unable to resist him, Chen Qingyan, suppressing his grief, brought over the child from the swaddling clothes nearby.

The little baby had delicate features but had already stopped breathing, his skin alarmingly bluish-purple from lack of oxygen.

Wang Ying pressed on the child’s chest, performing CPR and rescue breathing. He couldn't accept the child was gone—just yesterday, he had been kicking inside him. How could he be stillborn?

Once, twice, three times... the small body rose and fell under his palms. He didn’t dare press too hard, afraid of damaging the child’s fragile body.

"Wake up, baby, wake up. Open your eyes and look at Papa."

The child showed no response, and his body temperature was gradually fading.

Wang Ying shook his head in despair. The child hadn’t even had a chance to see this world—how could he be dead?

Suddenly, a notification sound popped into his mind: "Congratulations, host, for upgrading the experimental field to Level 5. The stage reward has been unlocked. Would the host like to use it?"

Wang Ying paused, startled, then immediately chose "Yes" in his mind.

"Based on the host’s strongest desire, there are three stage reward options: First, return to the original world. Second, revive the child before you. Third, help Chen Qingyan restore his imperial examination eligibility. Please choose one."

He could return to his original world?

Should he go back?

Back there, he had no family, no lover—only never-ending papers, unfinished theses, and an uncertain future.

Wang Ying almost without hesitation chose the second option. Even Chen Qingyan would have chosen the second.

"Once the reward is chosen, it cannot be changed. Does the host confirm?"

"I confirm!"

"The stage reward is now active. Please note, host."

"Wah..." A faint cry of a baby rang out, and everyone rushed forward in astonishment.

"He’s alive? He’s alive!"

"The child has been saved!"

Li Shi clasped her hands together in prayer and knelt on the ground. "Amitabha Buddha, thank heavens! Wuwuwu..."

Wang Ying, exhausted, collapsed onto the bed. The two midwives quickly wiped the child clean, checked to ensure he was healthy, and then handed him to Chen Qingyan.

"Congratulations, Sir, congratulations, husband, on the birth of your son!"

Wang Ying wanted to reach out and hold the child, but he was too exhausted even to lift his arm. The sounds around him grew increasingly faint, and he sank into unconsciousness amid Chen Qingyan’s excited laughter.

After what felt like an eternity, Wang Ying opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by thick fog, unable to distinguish direction.

He walked forward for a while and suddenly saw someone crouching by the roadside. Wang Ying hurried over and approached, asking, "Excuse me, where is this?"

The person turned around—it was Zhang Shiqiu, long-deceased. His face was covered in blood, and with a grotesque expression, he lunged at Wang Ying. "You killed me! You must answer with your life!"

Terrified, Wang Ying bolted. After running for a long time, he suddenly heard someone calling his name.

"A Ying, A Ying!"

Wang Ying turned around and saw his maternal grandparents. The elderly couple, leaning on each other, were chasing after him.

"Grandpa, Grandma, why are you here?"

The two elders didn’t speak but instead took Wang Ying’s arms, looking him up and down with faces filled with tenderness.

Tears streamed uncontrollably down Wang Ying’s face as he reached out and hugged the small old man and old woman. "Grandpa, Grandma, I’ve missed you so much!"

Grandma reached out and touched his face. "My sweet child, you’ve suffered these past few years, haven’t you?"

Wang Ying sobbed and shook his head. The hardest days were already behind him.

After his grandparents passed away, he had handled both their funerals alone, feeling skinned alive from exhaustion, both physically and mentally. He knew that from then on, there would be no one left to rely on.

He never thought he’d have the chance to see them again. Wang Ying held them tightly, couldn't bear to release them.

Grandpa tapped him with his cane. "This is not where you should be. Hurry back."

"I can’t bear to leave you."

"Listen, you still have a long road ahead. Grandpa and Grandma can’t accompany you forever. Go."

"Grandpa! Grandma!"

Fighting his way out of the dream, Wang Ying woke. Chen Qingyan’s face, weary with stubble, came into view. He gripped Wang Ying’s hand excitedly. "A Ying, you’re finally awake! You’ve been asleep for three days!"