The days passed quickly, and in a blink of an eye, it was the end of February, and it looked like it was going to be tried in March.

But the weather is still cold.

In the Zhaohui Hall, Ying Qi sat with low eyebrows, gently beating her legs for Mrs. Fu with both hands, and the little maid walked out with a basin, and was lifting the curtain of the door, when a cold wind suddenly came in from outside.

Old Lady Fu kindly pressed Ying Qi's hand: "Good boy, your arm is sore, let's rest." ”

Ju Qi smiled slightly: "It's okay, grandmother." ”

Zhou frowned and glanced outside the window, his voice was full of worry: "This looks like it's about to end, it's still very cold, what can Brother Lin'er do!" ”

There are three examinations, the first on the ninth day of March, the second on the 12th, and the third on the 15th.

In order to prevent cheating in the scientific examination, the imperial court did not allow the lifters to wear leather clothes or jackets to prevent entrainment.

After all, the more you go, the more it is related to glory and future, and there are always people who are willing to take risks.

It's just that this is hard for people to participate in the exam, and on weekdays, the family is cautiously coaxed at home, for fear that they will not eat well and will not be warm, and they can only wear single clothes in the cold wind to participate in the exam.

Every year after the exam, I will fall ill.

Old Mrs. Fu raised her eyelids and said worriedly: "I will go to Fayuan Temple in two days to worship, and ask the Buddha to bless Brother Lin'er when he ends, the weather will be warmer." ”

Zhou couldn't help but sigh: "Three years ago, the weather was warm. ”

"What's the use of saying this, Brother Lin'er's teacher detained him at the time and asked him to settle for three years, and now it's always a big deal." Mrs. Fu held the Buddha beads in her hand unhurriedly.

In fact, the Fu family knows in their hearts that Fu Lin'an's knowledge is expected to be admitted to the Jinshi.

It's just that everyone cares about the ranking.

The first class is from the first class and the first, the second class is from the second class, and the third class is from the same jinshi.

For a scholarly family like Fu Lin'an, they generally disdain to be born in the top three with Jinshi, because the word "same" here actually means "different", and it is a bit of a consolation prize.

Therefore, many people would rather fail the exam and then take the exam, rather than being born as a fellow jinshi for the rest of their lives.

What's more, Fu Linan won the first place in the county examination, although Chen Yuanqing won the championship in the government examination and the hospital examination, and lost the honor of even the third yuan in the middle and middle schools, Fu Lin'an's ranking in the government examination and the hospital examination is still in the top three.

In the township test, he took the Xie Yuan from Suzhou.

If it's just Xie Yuan from an underdeveloped province in education, then there's really nothing to say, but he is the Xie Yuan of Suzhou, and you must know that Xie Yuan of Suzhou has always been a candidate for the champion.

At the beginning, he was only 17 years old after the foreign exam, and if he went directly to take the entrance examination the following year, the 17-year-old Jinshi would certainly sound good.

But Fu Lin'an's mentor Xie Tian was still afraid that he would not be able to wait for him, so he asked him to take the exam again in three years, in fact, in order to be able to pass the first place in the examination in one fell swoop.

As long as he passes the exam, he will not perform badly in the temple exam, and there is a high probability that he will be appointed by the saint as the champion of the golden branch.

In this way, Fu Lin'an is the second person in this dynasty to be in the middle of the three yuan.

Zhou understands what Mrs. Fu means, but how can a mother not feel sorry for her children.

She just felt uncomfortable when she thought of Brother Lin'er's cold day, wearing only single clothes and taking the exam in a small room for nine days.

The nine days of the township test had already made her tremble when she thought about it.

Ying Qi pursed his lips, hesitated a little, thought for a moment, and finally didn't say anything.

In fact, Fu Lin'an as early as a month ago, the study no longer burns charcoal, and he sits in the study to warm the book, and only wears single clothes, some time ago, every time she went to see him, he was so cold that his lips were purple, his hands and feet were cold, and even his hands were shaking when he picked up the pen, and the words he wrote were not satisfactory.

She couldn't see it distressed, but Fu Linan smiled: "Now that I'm used to it, I'm not so cramped when I get to the room." ”

But he refused to let her tell Zhou and Mrs. Fu because he was afraid that they would worry.

In fact, his father-in-law Fu Yanli also knew about this, and he didn't even think it was enough, he had discussed it with Xie Tian, and planned to let Fu Lin'an stay for nine days in a row, imitating the routine of the exam, and lock him alone in a cubicle similar to the number room to do the questions.

But then I don't know why, so it's gone.

I'm afraid it's not good to drink, Mrs. Fu explained.

In short, in the month since Fu Lin'an started to wear only single clothes, he did suffer from frostbite, but after he got better, he felt a lot more used to it.

In the evening, Ying Qi went back to his yard.

As soon as she entered the courtyard gate, the little maid greeted her: "The fourth master is here, it's been a while." ”

When Ying Qi heard this, he was overjoyed in his heart, and hurriedly asked Qingqiu to set up the meal.

She walked into the house, and really saw Fu Lin'an leaning on the soft couch and pretending to sleep, he heard the movement, and thought it was a subordinate, so he said, "Your grandmother is back?" ”

Ju Qiwan smiled and walked up to him quietly, covering his eyes with cold little hands.

"The fourth grandmother won't come back tonight, so the fourth master will stay in the empty room alone."

Fu Lin'an couldn't help laughing, he grabbed her cold hand with one hand, and then put his hands together to help her cover her hands.

"In that case, while your grandmother is away, you can come and serve your grandfather." He paused, pretending to be serious, "Have you opened your face?" ”

Ying Qi snorted: "No." ”

"Whether you can open your face or not, I will be fortunate to you today." Fu Lin'an pulled her into his arms with a sharp tug.

At this moment, Qingqiu's voice came from outside: "Fourth grandmother, do you want to set up dinner now?" ”

Ying Qi glanced at Fu Lin'an complainingly, and then raised his voice: "Put it now." ”

Qingqiu must have heard the movement inside the door, and was afraid of disturbing them, so he asked.

Fu Linan didn't make trouble with her, and the two stood up and prepared to eat.

"I met Chen Yuanqing in Tianxiang Building today." Fu Linan said suddenly.

Ying Qi pursed his lips and said, "I thought he would have to wait for another two years." ”

"I chatted with him for a few words, only to find out that he had only arrived in the capital the day before yesterday."

Chen Yuanqing is from a poor family, I heard that there is only his mother and a sister in the family for him to study, before the township examination, Chen Yuanqing won the fourth place in the examination, and the scientific examination has always cost money like running water, although Chen Yuanqing is now a lifter, naturally someone is happy to stuff money to him.

But coming to the capital to take the exam is not the same as being a local man.

When you come to the capital to take the exam, you will have to spend money on travel and accommodation.

Fu Lin'an said: "He got married, the eldest son just turned one year old, and his wife is a young lady from a merchant family. ”

Ju Qi suddenly understood, in fact, this practice is not uncommon, poor students, if they have no money for scientific examinations, they will marry a young lady from a rich family.

It's just that Shang Jia is a businessman after all, and many scholars disdain it in their hearts, but they are forced to be shy in reality, and marry a young lady from a rich family, while spending his wife's dowry, he still feels that his wife is not worthy of him.

I just don't know if Chen Yuanqing is such a person.