Started as a thatched house and ended up as a female figure

At 3:15 am on June 28th, Cheng Wan stood in the crowd, looking at the tightly closed vermilion lacquered door, and suddenly remembered that he had dreamed about the red notice again last night.

This time the name was clearly visible, but it was blown to pieces by the strong wind the moment she reached out to touch it.

Cheng Wan took a deep breath. No matter what, the results would finally come out today!

The first two times the results were announced, Cheng Wan waited at home for the servants who went to see the results to bring back the message.

This time, Cheng Wan chose to come and see the list in person.

Whether it's "life" or "death", she just wants to end it quickly.

"Why haven't you announced the results yet?"

The complaints of the students behind him startled the sparrows under the eaves, and Cheng Wan's heartbeat was also disrupted by the sound of flapping wings.

The crowd was like a boiling porridge pot, with discussions rising and falling. Some said that they heard the examiner was still checking the rankings last night, while others were seriously analyzing the difficulty of this year's exam questions.

Some people are also discussing Cheng Wan.

"Why did she come in person? Doesn't she have a lot of servants in her house?" Someone couldn't help but whispered as he looked at Cheng Wan's back.

"Who knows? Maybe he wants to experience it, but..." The person next to him leaned closer to the person who just spoke: "I heard that Zhaoping Hou was not in Shuoyang City some time ago. I don't know where he went. He only came back when the exam was about to start."

"I heard about it too! Could she have gone to the capital to seek advice from some master?" Another person joined in.

"Humph! What if I ask for your advice, sir?

The fact that she can stand here with me waiting for the college entrance examination results is a blessing accumulated over several lifetimes!

It would have been fine if she had managed to pass the county and prefectural examinations by chance, but the academy examination was not something she could pass just by asking a few great scholars for advice or cramming!

In my opinion, she shouldn't have come today! This way she won't be embarrassed when her name is not on the list later!"

The man's words were very impolite, but his voice was not loud. While he was speaking, he was carefully staring at Cheng Wan's reaction, as if he was worried that Cheng Wan couldn't hear him, but also afraid that Cheng Wan could hear him.

"Hush!" The person next to him pulled the man's sleeve, with a cautious look on his face: "Have you forgotten how fierce Zhao Ping Hou is?! She is really good at killing people with a knife! If we piss her off, we will be in big trouble!"

"What are you afraid of..."

"Squeak...squeak..."

Everyone immediately quieted down and looked towards the red door.

The vermilion lacquered door was finally opened completely, and the bailiff came out holding a gong.

The moment the bronze sound echoed throughout the long street, Cheng Wan almost held his breath.

"Listen up, students!" The weather was gloomy, and the voice of the yamen runner was broken by the wind. "Because there was an error in the transcription of the list, the announcement of the list will be postponed to tomorrow at noon!"

The buzzing sound instantly filled Cheng Wan's eardrums, and suppressed gasps were heard from the crowd.

"Awan?"

Wang and other members of the Cheng family who had been waiting here early with Cheng Wan looked at Cheng Wan with worry and heartache in their eyes.

Being told this kind of news at this time, isn't this torture? !

Cheng Wan looked at the back of the bailiff as he turned and left, feeling a breath stuck in his chest that he couldn't let go.

The bailiff's brief words tightened the rope that hung between her hope and despair.

"Huh!" Cheng Wan closed his eyes fiercely and gritted his teeth and said, "Go back and come back tomorrow!"

The night seemed endless.

Cheng Wan lay on the bed, the moonlight outside the window wandering on the blue brick floor, just like her thoughts turning over and over.

Cheng Wan turned over for the umpteenth time: "Jinjin, what time is it?"

"Before half past two."

It’s not even half past two.

Cheng Wan sighed: "I feel like I have been lying there for a very long time."

"In fact, no."

After an unknown amount of time, Cheng Wan suddenly sat up, lit a candle in the dark, and left the bedroom.

"My Lord?" The maid who was on night watch was startled when she saw Cheng Wan.

Cheng Wan smiled at the maid, and said in a gentle voice: "I can't sleep, so I'll go sit in the study for a while. You can add a pot of tea for me, and then go to rest. You don't have to watch over me later."

In the study, by candlelight, Cheng Wan picked up a book from the bookshelf and started reading.

......

When the morning light of June 29th finally pierced through the clouds, Cheng Wan had already changed her clothes three times in front of the bronze mirror and asked her maid to comb her hair into a neat yet dignified bun.

The crowd in front of the government office was even more turbulent than yesterday.

Cheng Wan stood in the front row and could clearly see the brand new copper nails on the vermilion lacquered door.

When the gong sounded again, Cheng Wan felt like his heart was about to burst through his throat.

"Master, you've done six flips!" Jin Jin's voice rang in Cheng Wan's mind.

Ok? ? ?

What do you mean?

Cheng Wan's heart was pounding wildly. Was this what she thought?

"Jinjin, I..." Cheng Wan licked his dry lips: "Am I on the list?"

"Yes! Master, you are on the list!"

On the list?

On the list? ?

On the list!!!

Cheng Wanxiu clenched his hands into fists, trying his best to suppress his excitement and ecstasy. His usually calm and rational brain had now gone into a state of shutdown.

"The results of the college entrance examination are announced!" The voice of the yamen runner seemed to come from the clouds: "There are a total of 132 people on the list this time!"

The crowd began to stir, and the hearts of the Cheng family members who accompanied Cheng Wan today instantly rose to their throats.

As the rankings were announced from the back to the front, the Cheng family members felt their hearts sink.

Cheng Wan is smart, but the Cheng family is not confident or arrogant enough to think that Cheng Wan's college entrance examination results will be among the best.

After all, Cheng Wan really didn't study for that long.

"Ninety-ninth place, Cheng Wan!"

The Cheng family thought they had heard it wrong, until they heard a series of loud noises exploding in their ears, and then the Cheng family, including Cheng Wan, woke up from their dream.

Ninety-nine, ninety-nine...

Cheng Wan blinked her eyes. No wonder Jin Jin said she had turned six times over. It was indeed six times over.

"Ninety-ninth! Ninety-ninth! A Wan! A Wan!" Wang, who is so introverted and image-conscious, was so excited that her voice almost split.

Cheng Daniu couldn't help clapping and saying "good!"

"Awan!"

"Ninety-nine! Ninety-ninth!"

"Big sister is awesome!"

......

In front of the red list, with the Cheng family's cheers and joy as the background, Cheng Wan's eyes wandered among the densely packed names, and finally saw his own name in the 99th position.

The black words "Cheng Wan" shone with golden light in the sun. Cheng Wan reached out to touch it, and felt the rough paper on his fingertips. Only then did he realize that this was not a dream.

Cheng Wan's eyes suddenly felt hot and tears suddenly flowed out uncontrollably, blurring the red list in front of him and the sounds around him.

The previous accumulation, the hard work before the exam, and the torment after the exam finally had a good result today and at this moment.

Cheng Wan wiped away her tears, gently stroked the names on the list with her fingertips, and her gaze turned from emotion to determination.

She can and must continue to climb the mountain of the imperial examination!