Spring Drunk Chang'an

The Liu family - Liu Laishun, Liu Aishi, Liu Changan, and Liu Sanxi.

Four living people.

According to their status and the price in the human market, it would cost at least six hundred taels.

Liu Sanxi is ugly and young, but he can read and is worth forty taels.

Liu Ai has no reproductive value, is of average appearance, can read and count, and is capable of managing affairs, so she is paid eighty taels.

Liu Laishun, a middle-aged man who could read and use an abacus and had worked as a shopkeeper, was worth one hundred taels.

Liu Changan is a young girl who can read and write, has a basic understanding of poetry, and is as beautiful as a flower. She deserves four hundred taels.

It will be more expensive if sold in a dirty place.

"...But it doesn't matter. I will be able to earn that much money one day sooner or later!" The sky-high ransom fee did not seem to be a difficulty but a challenge to Liu Sanxi.

Her little eyes were bright and full of hope and confidence.

The lively and cheerful little sister, with a high spirit, was compared to the dry girl with chilblains on her hands from washing clothes. Liu Changan was so happy in her heart that she didn't want to give up her eight-year-old sister's "ambition" to earn hundreds of taels. Instead, she encouraged her: "I believe you, Sanxi, I know my sister is the best."

"It's just a few hundred taels, you can do it!!"

The maid who earned one and a half taels of silver a month praised Haikou.

The little maid who was paid three hundred coins a month for menial work looked up with confidence.

The two sisters laughed together and played for a while. Liu Changan warned again, "But, Sanxi, not all the people in the countryside outside the city are good people. You must be careful when you ask someone to sell it."

30 or 50 cents may not seem like much, but when accumulated it's a lot of money.

"Don't worry, sister. I sell all my stuff directly to peddlers. They buy cheap stuff from me and then sell it in the villages!"

"It saves me worry and they save money!"

A small peddler could not get access to the "junk" of the rich and powerful, and the big shops would not accept the flirtatious prostitutes who walked the streets.

Liu Sanxi acted as a 'middleman'.

"Little peddler~~" Liu Changan laughed.

"I'm a broker!!" Liu Sanxi pursed his lips in dissatisfaction and rushed forward to tickle his sister.

The two sisters laughed and played, and time passed quickly. When the sunset appeared in the sky, Liu Laishun and Liu Ai came back. Seeing their daughter who had not been seen for many days return home, the couple was very happy.

Liu Ai pushed her daughters aside and said, "Go, go, you've been busy all day. Go back to your room and rest. You can just wait on the mistress at the mansion. You finally come home, why should you work?"

"Look at the dirt."

"Laishun, hurry up and boil some hot water for Chang'an and Sanxi so they can wash themselves properly. They're almost as covered in mud."

Liu Laishun went to boil water.

Liu Changan and Liu Sanxi walked into the bathroom with smiles on their faces and rubbed each other's backs.

Liu Ai tied on an apron, took out a machete and stomped the pork ribs, preparing to cook the meat.

Braised pork ribs, braised pork, scallion-fried spareribs, and a stewed chicken...

Liu Sanxi complained a little, "Mom, you stewed my laying hen!!"

When Liu Ai started to pick vegetables, Liu Wanger came back from school.

After putting down his backpack, he and Liu Laishun poured the bath water together, moved the table and set the chopsticks, and were busy.

A family of five sat in the yard, accompanied by the sunset, with six dishes and a soup in front of them.

"It's been half a month. Your eldest sister finally came back. Let's have a good meal!" Liu Ailai wiped the sweat off her face and glanced at her son again. "Also, Wang'er is going to take the annual exam the day after tomorrow."

"Let's celebrate at home too. Our Liu family has a scholar."

The examination for becoming a scholar is divided into annual examination, subject examination and academy examination.

Those who passed both the annual examination and the imperial examination were called Tongsheng. Only those with the title of Tongsheng could take part in the academy examination, and those who passed were called Xiucai.

Annual examinations, subject examinations and academy examinations are all held once a year.

The examination for scholars is the provincial examination, which is held every three years. Those who pass the examination become juren.

The successful candidates will take the exam again and be called Gongshi. Those who pass the exam will be called Jinshi. Finally, the Jinshi will participate in the palace selection, where the emperor will personally set the questions and decide the names of the top three.

Those who passed the imperial examination and became Juren could become officials.

However, they were all minor officials of the eighth and ninth ranks. If they wanted to truly stand in the court, they had to pass the palace selection and be among the top three.

Liu Wang'er had no academic achievements, so he had to take part in the annual examination and pass the examination for the title of "tongsheng" before he could take the examination for the title of "xiucai".

As for Liu Wenbai, he was a student of the Imperial College. With the title of "juren", he only needed to take the imperial examination.

Those who pass the exam will be directly named on the list of successful candidates.

The Imperial College was like a ladder to heaven. Even if one failed the imperial examination, one could still be recommended by the Imperial College to become an official after graduation. That was why Liu Wenrui felt so unbalanced.

"Sister, how many days can you stay at home this time?"

"Can you give me a ride the day after tomorrow?"

Liu Wang'er looked at her sister expectantly.

The examination for the scholar is not as complicated as the examination for the juren or jinshi, especially for the emperor. It is held once a year. Generally, there is one test per day and the results will be announced the next day.

Three attempts, six days to complete.

"I've already asked my wife for leave. If you can pass the exam, I'll stay home with you for a few days!" Liu Changan smiled and rubbed her brother's head. She said, "You must study hard. If you can pass the exam, I, your sister, will have six days of rest and vacation!"

"I haven't had a break like this in a long time, and I'm really looking forward to it."

"Brother, you have to work hard for elder sister's vacation!" Liu Sanxi listened and immediately turned his head, teasing with a stern face.

Liu Wang'er clenched her fists, a smile on her delicate face, "Of course."

Everyone was laughing and no one put pressure on Liu Wang'er.

After dinner, the Liu family cleared away their chopsticks and went to rest.

In a blink of an eye, a day passed and soon it was the day for Liu Wang'er to take the exam. Early that morning, the three women of the Liu family got up early, steamed soft buns, fried eggs, and stewed meat. When Liu Wang'er woke up, he had a hot breakfast.

Liu Ai and Liu Chang'an packed his examination basket, placed the writing brush, ink, paper, inkstone, bamboo tube of water and wrapped dry biscuits.

Liu Sanxi took clothes for his brother.

Liu Laishun specially borrowed a carriage to take his son to the examination hall, and Liu Changan of course followed.

Her brother specifically asked her to accompany him, and she would definitely not refuse.

The carriage moved forward and after two quarters of an hour, it arrived in front of the ceremonial room of the examination hall. Liu Wanger got off the carriage with the examination basket, and Liu Changan and Liu Laishun followed behind him.

At that time, it was still dark outside, but there was already a long line outside the ceremony room. Among the people in the line were children in their teens, and boys like Liu Wanger who were fourteen or fifteen years old, but most of them were young men in their twenties. They were holding lanterns and waiting anxiously.

The Liu family arrived early and were at the front of the line.

As the sky brightened, the line grew longer and longer. Liu Changan looked back and saw at least three to five hundred people.

There are still many scholars under the emperor's feet.

Liu Wang'er's body was tense and his face was pale.

"Don't be afraid, Wang'er, Dad is here, sister is here too, we will always be waiting for you." Liu Chang'an's voice sounded gently.