The son-in-law of a prosperous family

Zhao Yunchuan looked at Fang Huai's worried face, and his heart warmed. He reached out and gently held his hand, saying softly, "Brother Huai, don't worry. I have been cold-resistant since I was a child, and this late spring cold will not bother me."

As he spoke, he gently stroked the back of Fang Huai's hand with his thumb, trying to calm his anxious mood.

"But the conditions in the Imperial Examination Hall are poor, and you can only wear thin clothes. I am really worried." Fang Huai raised his eyes, his eyes full of worry.

Zhao Yunchuan gently embraced Fang Huai in his arms, rested his chin on the top of his head, and smiled softly, "You still don't trust me? I'm as strong as a calf. I've studied hard for many years just for this Spring Examination. I can definitely persevere. Besides, when I think of you, I feel like I have endless energy."

When Fang Huai heard this, he quickly reached out and gently covered Zhao Yunchuan's mouth, and said anxiously: "That won't do. During the exam, you have to focus on the answers and don't think about me!"

After saying this, he frowned slightly, his eyes full of seriousness. In his opinion, in an exam as important as the Spring Examination, any distraction might affect Zhao Yunchuan's performance.

Zhao Yunchuan raised his lips slightly, gently took Fang Huai's hand, held it, and coaxed: "Okay, okay, I know I have to concentrate on the exam, and I must not think about it, so as not to be distracted. Then I will think about it when I go to bed at night, and then I will meet you in my dream, okay?"

As he spoke, he winked playfully, trying to make Fang Huai happy.

Fang Huai shook his head helplessly, but couldn't help but smile.

But soon, he fell into worry again. After thinking for a while, his eyes suddenly lit up and he said, "I'll cut some ginger into pieces and bring them to you. You can rinse it with hot water and it will be ginger soup. Drinking a bowl of it in this weather can warm your body."

Zhao Yunchuan's heart warmed up, and just as he was about to thank him, Fang Huai continued, "The good thing about the Imperial Examination Hall is that it provides hot water. Although the amount is limited, it should be enough for making ginger soup."

As he spoke, he was calculating in his mind how much ginger should be shredded.

Fang Huai really prepared every aspect of his plan.

On the ninth day of the third month, before dawn, Fang Huai got up quietly. He went to the kitchen, made breakfast, and checked the writing brushes, inkstones, clothes, and dry food that Zhao Yunchuan would need for the exam to make sure nothing was left out.

By the time Zhao Yunchuan finished washing up, Fang Huai had prepared everything. After dinner, Fang Huai checked everything again.

The two walked out of the house together, the cold moonlight shone on them, casting two long shadows.

After that, they boarded the carriage that they had hired in advance. The wheels rolled slowly, making a creaking sound, breaking the silence of the early morning. In the carriage, Fang Huai sat next to Zhao Yunchuan, holding his hands with both hands, and repeatedly reminded him: "Husband, you must take good care of yourself when you enter the Imperial Examination Hall. If you feel cold, quickly make a bowl of ginger soup with hot water, and don't endure it just to save hot water."

Zhao Yunchuan looked at Fang Huai tenderly and nodded in response, "Don't worry, I've remembered everything. You should also take good care of yourself at home and don't work too hard."

"Don't worry about me. What can happen to me at home? I will be fine."

The carriage slowly stopped outside the Imperial Examination Hall, and Zhao Yunchuan and Fang Huai got off. At this time, the sky was slightly bright, and the east was turning pale, but outside the Imperial Examination Hall, there were already crowds of people.

The candidates were either in groups of two or three, chatting in low voices, or alone, carrying their luggage, frowning, muttering to themselves. Some of them were still holding books in their hands, flipping through them in the faint morning light, not missing out on any knowledge point that might be tested.

The gate of the Imperial Examination Hall was tightly closed, and the guards at the gate were dressed in neat uniforms, had serious expressions, and held swords to maintain order. Their eyes scanned the crowd, not letting go of any suspicious person.

Fang Huai followed Zhao Yunchuan closely and carefully straightened his collar again, his eyes full of reluctance and worry: "Yunchuan, be careful when you go in, I'll wait for you at home."

Zhao Yunchuan gently held Fang Huai's hand and said firmly, "Don't worry, Brother Huai, wait for me to come back."

After saying that, he took a deep breath, turned around and walked towards the gate of the Imperial Examination Hall with the basket in his hand.

The officer at the door had a stern face and sharp eyes. After looking him up quickly, he raised his hand and motioned him to go to the search room nearby.

Stepping into the dim and cramped little house, Zhao Yunchuan felt a little depressed.

The room was filled with a stale smell. A burly officer with a blank expression on his face said in a cold but polite voice, "Take off all your clothes, and hurry up."

Zhao Yunchuan took a deep breath and slowly unbuttoned his clothes.

His every movement was closely watched by the guards' hawk-like gaze. As his clothes were taken off one by one, he stood there, feeling the chill running from the soles of his feet to his heart. This room was too cold.

As expected of the Spring Examination, the inspection was very thorough, and even candidates were asked to take off their clothes for inspection.

The officer first approached and rubbed and shook the clothes with his rough hands, not missing any wrinkles or gaps, checking for hidden pieces of paper or words written with special pigments. Then, he walked slowly around Zhao Yunchuan, his eyes sweeping over his body inch by inch, from his forehead to his toes, and even carefully checking the gaps between his fingernails.

Zhao Yunchuan: ...

Don't think he didn't see the envious expression on the officer's face. That's right, he is that talented.

"Raise your arms and turn around."

Zhao Yunchuan did as he was told, and the officers focused on checking his armpits, back, and the back of his legs. They even asked him to open his mouth to check if there were any cheating notes hidden inside his mouth.

This……

After the inspection, the officer handed him the clothes and said briefly, "Put them on and get out."

Zhao Yunchuan quickly dressed, picked up the exam basket, opened the door and walked out.

The examination rooms are neatly arranged and small, only able to accommodate one person, one table, one stool and one bed. The space is cramped and the conditions are poor.

Zhao Yunchuan was lucky, he didn't draw a bad number, and after entering the room, he was very happy.

This house looks simple, but it is intact.

Looking up, the roof tiles are stacked layer upon layer, arranged neatly without any gaps, so there is no need to worry about leaks on rainy days.

The window frames were solid and the paper used to paste the windows was intact, so the cold wind couldn't get in at all.

It not only keeps you warm, but also prevents the test paper from getting wet by rain.

The first test was on classics. When the test papers were handed to Zhao Yunchuan, he took a quick look and had an idea in his mind.

The second round of the exam was policy essay, which focused on current politics and people's livelihood. Faced with questions about national governance and social development, Zhao Yunchuan was still confident.

But when it came to the third test of poetry and prose, Zhao Yunchuan was in trouble.

The image given in the title may seem ordinary, but it requires clever conception, word choice and sentence construction within the limited rhythm and length, and it also has to incorporate true feelings, which really tests one's skills.

Zhao Yunchuan felt a little bald.