Red Mansion: Holding Space and Marrying Like the Sea

When Wang Yi slowly awoke, the sunset glow had already dyed the sky outside the window a vibrant orange-red, its vibrant colors streaming through the window lattice onto the bed. He stretched himself, feeling relaxed and refreshed. His previous fatigue had vanished, and he felt much more energetic than before.

He slowly sat up, rubbed his eyes, and looked out the window. He saw the red sun gradually setting in the west, about to sink behind the mountain. Wang Yi was shocked at this sight. He thought he had slept for a whole day.

Just as he was secretly surprised, his eyes suddenly swept over the people standing in the room. They all looked at him with concern. Wang Yi couldn't help but feel a little surprised and quickly asked, "What happened? Why are you all here?"

At this moment, a servant beside him hurried forward and replied respectfully, "Young Master, you have been asleep for a long time. The Master and the Madam are worried about your health, so they sent for a doctor to come and see you."

Wang Yi felt a surge of warmth in his heart when he heard this. He had never imagined that just because he had slept in for a while, his grandparents would be so worried that they even called a doctor. Thinking of this, he quickly got up, washed up, and went to Wang Zisheng and his wife.

Wang Yi said with a hint of embarrassment, "I never thought I would sleep for so long. I feel really bad for making my grandparents worry about me."

Mrs. Wang Zisheng looked lovingly at her sensible grandson, smiled, waved her hand, and said comfortingly, "Silly child, we are family after all, why say such strange things? Seeing you sleep so soundly, I think you must be exhausted. Are you hungry now?"

Before he finished speaking, several maids filed in, bearing steaming bowls of food. Madam Wang Zisheng personally accepted a bowl of fragrant porridge, gently stirred it with a spoon, and then passed it to Wang Yi, saying softly, "My dear grandson, drink some porridge first to warm your stomach and fill it up. The doctor specifically instructed us not to eat too much or too greasy food right after waking. It's better to eat something easily digestible first. Tomorrow, I'll have someone make you your favorite roast duck to satisfy your craving."

After Wang Yi leisurely finished his dinner, Wang Zisheng smiled, his eyes gentle and filled with satisfaction as he casually said, "My son, I've carefully reviewed the paper you wrote down. I have to say, you did an excellent job. Barring any unexpected events, you'll undoubtedly secure a top-ranking position in the imperial examination! The results are still about ten to twenty days away. While you're free, rest and recuperate. If you have some free time, you might want to invite one or two close friends for an outing and some fun. It'll also help you unwind. However, while you can relax a bit, don't slack off on your studies. After all, you'll still have to take the crucial Spring Examination next spring."

Upon hearing this, Wang Yi quickly stood up and bowed deeply to his grandfather, saying anxiously, "It is all thanks to your good teaching that I have achieved such great results. Thank you for your praise."

Wang Zisheng laughed heartily, helped Wang Yi up, and said, "You, kid, don't be so modest. But what you said is true. You are talented and hardworking, and this is the result of your own hard work."

Wang Yi thanked his grandfather, chatted with him for a while, and then went back to his room to rest.

The next day, Wang Yi did as his grandfather said, and invited a few good friends to go sightseeing or write poems, and he was very happy.

At this moment, the numerous examinees were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief, relaxing their long-stretched nerves. However, Lin Ruhai and Zhang Ying continued to bustle about the Imperial Examination Hall, their work relentlessly on. They were either busy sorting through the mountain of test papers or meticulously checking each piece of data, daring not to neglect a single detail. Although the surrounding examinees had gradually dispersed, and the Imperial Examination Hall had gradually returned to calm, their figures still appeared exceptionally busy in the candlelight.

The next twenty days would be a crucial period of examination. Each exam paper would be strictly sealed before being carefully delivered to the examiners for review.

In order to ensure that the entire marking process is absolutely fair and just, there are a series of strict regulations during the marking process: first, the chief examiner and co-examiners must sit together in a specific marking room; second, co-examiners are not allowed to take the test papers back to their own rooms to review them alone, and the official responsible for monitoring the marking situation also needs to sit face to face with the chief examiner, always paying attention to whether there is any violation of discipline on the scene.

According to convention, each examiner can only review the part of the test paper assigned to him or her, and must not interfere with the marking work of other examiners, nor can he or she casually discuss the quality of the test paper content.

This lengthy marking period was usually scheduled for daytime. When all marking tasks for the day were completed, the chief examiner, deputy chief examiner, and invigilator would shoulder a crucial responsibility: carefully counting the papers. Only after confirming there were no errors would the three of them work together to securely lock down the marking area.

When the marking work resumed the next day, the three of them had to arrive at the scene at the same time and unlock the door together. This cycle continued day after day until all the test papers were marked.

Then, one day before the official announcement of the results, in order to avoid any possible mistakes, the examiners also need to fill out the draft list in advance for final verification and preparation.

The chief examiner, with a focused expression, filled in the "red numbers" on the proposed admissions papers in order of ranking. Each stroke seemed to carry the hopes and dreams of countless students. When the densely packed red numbers covered the entire paper, the draft list was finally complete.