Da Fu finished the first round of the exam and spent the two days waiting for the results in a calm and composed manner. Kang and Xie kept the visitors away, not allowing anyone to come inquire about the exam performance, ensuring the child had a peaceful environment.
Da Fu was surprisingly patient during those two days, neither arrogant nor anxious, reviewing his lessons steadily while waiting for the results.
On the morning of the eighth day, the whole family quickly finished breakfast and headed together to wait outside the Gongyuan for the announcement of the results.
There were already some candidates waiting in front of the bulletin board outside the Gongyuan, but the crowd wasn’t large, and it was far less lively than on the exam day.
Those who came so early to wait for the list were mostly first-time candidates. Each of them had a youthful face, eagerly stretching their necks to catch sight of the official who would post the results.
Their anxious hearts made their feet feel warm from standing too long.
As for those who had taken the exam before, they weren’t as enthusiastic. Some would only come once most people had left, taking it easy, or send a servant or assistant to check and bring back a message, not bothering to make the trip themselves.
After all, the county exam consisted of five rounds, with five sets of results to be released, so candidates were not so eager to get the first announcement immediately, especially since the county exam didn’t bestow much fame on its own.
However, for Kang and Fan Jing, this was the very first time coming to see their child’s results, and everything felt fresh and exciting—something they had never experienced before.
“Father! Uncle! The official with the list is here!”
Da Fu’s sharp eyes immediately spotted the officer who came out from the Gongyuan holding a red list. The officer walked straight to the bulletin board and promptly posted the red list.
Because many candidates passed the first round, three red lists were posted in total.
As soon as the lists appeared, a crowd swarmed around them. Kang He lifted Da Fu up onto his shoulder: “My son, your eyes are sharp—take a look and see if your name is on the list.”
Da Fu scanned the list, his eyes brightened, and a smile spread across his face.
“Father! Uncle! On the first list, my name is the seventh one down—Fan Zhongyang!”
Hearing that he was on the list, Kang He’s mood instantly lifted. He quickly turned to Fan Jing beside him: “Did you see the name?”
Fan Jing, hearing Da Fu’s voice, glanced over. Though he didn’t recognize many characters, he did recognize Da Fu’s name.
He nodded to Kang He: “Yes, he passed.”
His tone was calm, but a faint joy could be seen.
Now that he was on the list, Kang He’s heart was at ease. He asked around to learn if the red list’s names were ranked or just listed.
An experienced candidate explained that for the first four rounds of the county exam, no ranks were noted on the lists, but the order from left to right and top to bottom indicated the ranking.
Kang He was delighted. Da Fu’s name was not only on the first page but also within the top ten. With such a rank, there was a good chance for the fifth round.
He shared the good news with Da Fu, praising and encouraging him. Da Fu felt fulfilled but dared not be arrogant, knowing this was just the beginning and there were still many tests to come.
Back at home, Da Fu immediately returned to his room to study.
Kang He and Fan Jing mentioned the success to their family but didn’t spread it around.
As for Tutor Xu, it was hard for outsiders to know which students had passed.
With that settled, the next day Da Fu went to take the second round.
More experienced this time, going to the Gongyuan felt much easier. He calmly found his room number, no longer feeling the nervousness of the first exam.
He still recorded the exam questions on blank paper. The initial retest required a passage from the Four Books and a scripture passage, similar to the first round, plus composing a test poem.
This time, the workload increased, and the difficulty was noticeably higher than the first round.
Da Fu concentrated. Though harder, it wasn’t beyond his ability. After carefully planning, he put pen to paper.
Nearly twenty to thirty percent of students failed the initial retest and dropped out after the first round.
The third round retest added rhythm and prose as well as current affairs essays, testing candidates’ views on local governance and historical events.
The fourth round retest was simpler, requiring only a judgment essay.
It was said that during Fan Xin’s exam days, this round was sometimes tested, sometimes not, mainly to assess comprehensive ability.
In recent decades, provinces and regions have standardized this round, and private academies have paid much more attention to it.
Though simple and loose, this round wasn’t easy. Students who only crammed Four Books and Classics without broad learning would surely stumble here.
The fifth and final round started at the end of February.
As March approached, the weather warmed, the countryside and town fields grew green, and peach and plum blossoms bloomed in splendor.
Coming out of the exam, Da Fu felt the warm spring sunlight softly bathing his stiff body, which was quite pleasant.
“Zhongyang!”
Da Fu saw not only Kang He and Fan Jing waiting but also Xiao Fu.
“Why are you all here together to pick me up?”
Since the start of the exams in early March, Da Fu hadn’t seen them for over fifteen days. He was very happy.
Xiao Fu lifted his brother’s book box: “Here.”
“Yes, after the last exam, you must be very tired. Take the next three days off to rest,” Fan Jing said, then took the book box from Xiao Fu: “Give this to your brother.”
“I can carry it.”
Xiao Fu said, holding the book box: “I’m quite strong now.”
Kang He and Fan Jing approached slowly. After chatting with the three children for a while, they noticed others coming toward them and said, “Let’s go home first. We’ll talk more there.”
“How come our Da Fu is so capable? He’s passed four rounds, and his rankings aren’t bad at all. The last round should be smooth sailing.”
“I have to go to the Monkey Temple to burn incense and donate some money for blessings.”
Chen Sanfang’s face was flushed with excitement as she pulled along Zhang Jinguì, who had come to visit the family from the market, praising Da Fu nonstop.
Kang He and Fan Jing told her not to boast about this outside. She felt anxious but thought if outsiders couldn’t be told, at least family could.
“Sis, you said the fortune teller you found before said our Da Fu would be outstanding. But you know, the fortune teller only said that someone from the Fan family would be a remarkable scholar. He didn’t say which branch. And our Da Fu’s surname isn’t even Fan!”
Zhang Jinguì pursed her lips, sounding bitter: “He’s only passed four rounds so far. The most important is still the last round. If he fails that, the previous success is just like drawing water with a bamboo basket—nothing gained.
“Even if he passes the county exam, there’s still the prefecture exam. Only passing that counts. The first round, if you ask me, is basically useless.”
“Our Da Xin, when he was taking the imperial exams, passed several county exams and even took the prefecture exam multiple times.”
Chen Sanfang said, “Da Xin is impressive. But I remember the first time he took the exam, he got the questions all wrong and turned in the wrong paper. How did he pass the first round then? Is that true?”
“It was a long time ago. I don’t really remember clearly. Sis, did I get it wrong?”
Zhang Jinguì ignored Chen Sanfang’s words, her face darkening. She said, “I’m going to Xiangxiu’s house to see my great-grandson.”
“Why not eat here? Da Fu passed the exam today. Third Brother asked the kitchen to add dishes. Sis, stay and eat with us. It’ll be lively!”
Zhang Jinguì was too angry to eat anything. She turned her head and left the Fan household, grumbling as she went: What’s there to be proud of? The road ahead is still long. This is only the beginning. She shouldn’t put the fortune teller’s words on herself yet. Ugh! And Chen Sanfang, of all people, has the nerve to say such things.
“Ouch!”
Lost in thought, Zhang Jinguì stepped into a small pit and twisted her ankle.
She bit her teeth in pain and gasped for breath, limping out of Chaoxi Lane.
“What kind of place is this? They say this is the best lane in the county, but the road isn’t even as good as in our village.”
Zhang Jinguì had just left when Kang He and Fan Jing returned with the children from the Gongyuan.
The three kids were joyful together, like little butterflies tangled in the vegetable patch. As soon as they got off the cart, they ran straight into the courtyard.
“Brother Fifteen, are you riding the wooden horse? We have two; we can each ride one.”
“I’m riding! But there are only two. Da Fu, aren’t you riding?”
“If Brother wants to, you can ride with me.”
“Great!”
Da Fu walked behind, watching the two run ahead. He called out, “Slow down, you two.”
The three children entered the small yard where flowers and plants exuded fragrant aromas under the sun.
Da Fu took off his thick coat he wore against the morning chill and called Ah Wang to bring three cups of milk tea and two stacks of cakes.
Outside, Xiao Fu and Fifteen were already on the wooden horses, each holding a large wooden sword, looking imposing as they poked at the hanging cotton rag dolls.
Laughter echoed throughout the courtyard.
In the backyard, Da Fu still had toys like pitch-pot, cuju, and hammer ball to play with. Taking advantage of the nice weather, a post-exam break was perfect for playing and sweating a bit.
Just as he was about to get the toys from the backyard, a kite suddenly fluttered down and landed right on his head.
“Shh—”
Da Fu held his head, looking up at the clear sky, wondering where the kite had come from.
He picked up the kite from the ground and saw it was shaped like a swallow, with two lines of poetry inscribed on its wings.
“How can a sick body grow wings and freely follow the sandbird’s flight?”
Da Fu read softly. The handwriting on the swallow’s wings was elegant but slightly inexperienced—obviously not by an adult.
“That… that’s mine…”
Just as Da Fu was about to call out, he heard a voice. He looked up and saw a boy’s head peeking over the wall next door, staring at him.
The boy looked pale, lips lacking color, but his eyes were like spring moonlight and peach blossoms—a pair of very beautiful peach blossom eyes.
Seeing Da Fu look up at him, the boy quickly withdrew, leaving only his eyes visible above the wall.
Da Fu said, “Do you live next door? I’ll give it back to you. Don’t lean on the ladder; be careful you don’t fall.”
“No, don’t give it back!”
Da Fu hesitated, holding the kite: “Then how do I give it to you?”
The boy was silent for a moment: “Just keep it for now. When there’s a chance, I’ll take it back.”
Then the boy added: “Thank you.”
Da Fu lightly replied.
“Brother! Why haven’t you come yet?”
Da Fu heard Xiao Fu’s shout outside. He waved to the boy, then carefully put the kite away and went to fetch the pitch-pot to find Fifteen and Xiao Fu.
The three children played at home for most of the afternoon. That evening, after dinner, Da Fu felt exhausted. Rarely setting aside studying, he went to bed early and slept soundly through the night.
After patiently waiting, the results finally came out. The morning’s announcement was lively.
The crowd pressed tightly, the ground almost stepping-on-level crowded.
Xiao Fu, being small and nimble, slipped through the gaps and ran to the front but soon realized he couldn’t read and standing in the front was useless.
So he came back and messily pulled Da Fu forward together with him.
Kang He and Fan Jing were taller but less agile than the children and stayed outside watching.
As soon as the first list was posted, the crowd buzzed with excitement and noise.
“Names! Names! He’s in sixth place!”
“Da Jing, do you see? There’s Da Fu’s ranking.”
Kang He was overjoyed and, worried Fan Jing might not see it, pulled him close to look together.
Fan Jing had already seen Da Fu’s rank but looked again with Kang He before nodding: “I see it.”
“I heard this time the rankings are based on the combined scores of all five rounds. Our Da Fu has done well each round. His final rank is quite high!”
Fan Jing smiled faintly, and Kang He’s grip tightened.
When Da Fu’s county exam results came out, Kang He and Fan Jing didn’t make a fuss. One reason was that the county exam was the most basic. Boasting everywhere would seem ignorant.
Another was that after passing the county exam, Da Fu had to take the prefecture exam in the capital in April, barely over a month away. The time was tight.
If he really passed the prefecture exam and earned the title of Tongsheng, the family could host a big celebration with tables of wine and food.
But Kang He and Fan Jing weren’t naïve. If it were easy to pass the prefecture exam after the county exam, Fan Xin wouldn’t have studied so long without earning even a Tongsheng title.
Among friends and relatives, very few had passed the Tongsheng exam.
To expect to pass both county and prefecture exams early was to risk disappointment.
However, Da Fu’s tutors, Xu and Luo Chuanyi, were quite attentive to his prefecture exam preparation. They believed Da Fu’s excellent county exam results made it possible to earn the Tongsheng title in one go.
Historically, the top ten in the county exam often passed the prefecture exam, but nothing was certain.
It was said the first-place candidate in the previous Luan County exam didn’t make the list at the prefecture level.
The reason was that after passing the county exam, candidates grew complacent and relaxed, indulged in distractions, and failed in the capital.
Some candidates who barely passed the county exam never turned their luck around in the prefecture exam.
Thus, the Tongsheng exam was unpredictable, just a possibility.
If opportunity existed, one must seize it. The Xu family school held special classes for county exam passers.
During the study break, Da Fu went to Luo Chuanyi’s place for guidance.
In March, Da Fu studied harder than ever before, but felt fulfilled and happy.
He likened himself to a crispy fried egg soaked in broth, absorbing it and swelling full.
As March warmed, the tense county exam was over. After a big celebration, business had to continue.
On the afternoon of March tenth, approaching evening, Kang He and Fan Jing drove back to the countryside, bringing Fourth Brother, Yi Huan, and others to harvest seasonal melons and vegetables.
At this time, only a few vegetables like spinach, chives, and lettuce matured in the fields.
These were the main items at the county market.
Their vegetable shop was about to open tomorrow, but just these vegetables were too limited.
However, in spring, wild vegetables were in season.
Kang He had already sent word that the family would start collecting wild vegetables from today.
After noon, farmers came to sell wild vegetables.
The family collected shepherd’s purse, water celery, wild scallions, fragrant toon, and spring bamboo shoots—typical spring wild flavors.
The wild vegetables were shipped to the city and processed by Xie Xiaoliu and Qiao’er at the shop.
Besides wild and cultivated vegetables, Kang He had also soaked some yellow and green beans to grow bean sprouts.
After harvesting the vegetables, they brought everything to the shop.
Under lantern light, five or six people gathered in the backyard to remove wormholes and yellow leaves, estimate weight, and carefully bundle chives, water celery, and wild scallions with bamboo leaves.
Fresh bamboo shoots were treated in two ways: some with the skin on, sold fresh; others peeled and boiled, soaked in water for sale.
By the time all vegetables were arranged on the shelves, the moon was high.
Kang He and Fan Jing dismissed the workers, both exhausted, then drove home, quickly washed up, exchanged a few words, and rested.
The next day, before dawn, the two rose early, washed, ate breakfast with Qiao’er, and hurried to the shop to open it.
Xiao Fu was obedient, knowing the shop would open today. He didn’t bother Kang He or Fan Jing, promising not to disturb his brother’s studies, staying at home under the care of Seventh Brother and Sister Xue.
Chen Sanfang had come to the city as well, accompanying Father Fan to manage the rural stall.
Spring meant tending the land, and with the shop supplying vegetables to the city, Father Fan couldn’t handle everything alone.
Kang He and Fan Jing hadn’t been this busy since opening the butcher shop twenty years ago, back when no helpers were available and the family worked nonstop, exhausted.
Now, with reliable staff, they had more free time.
Though tired from business, they felt motivated.
At daybreak, firecrackers sounded at Guixiang Shop, attracting curious onlookers.
Kang He and Fan Jing unveiled the Fan Family Vegetable Shop signboard, officially opening the store.
Xie Xiaoliu carried a copper gong to the market square, beating it loudly and shouting, “Come see! The Fan Family Vegetable Shop opens today! Fresh melons and vegetables! Wide variety! Welcome!”
The shop was at the end of a dead-end alley, not an advantageous location. Locals rarely came by, so customers were few.
To counter this, they spent money to put up a sign pointing from the main street and had someone beat the gong to attract customers.
In the city, this was a common tactic: new shops always drew a crowd, even if people didn’t buy, they came to see the excitement.
Before long, customers trickled into the once quiet shop.
“A tidy shop. Look at how well bundled the chives are, all in neat bunches.”
A woman picked up some chives and smelled them; the fragrance was strong.
Kang He said, “March chives are the most fragrant. Bring some home to stir-fry or make soup; delicious. We’ve already removed yellow leaves and dirt, so you don’t have to wash much.”
Every vegetable was fresh; no one could cheat customers by selling inferior goods.
Freshness was obvious at a glance.
Morning vegetables were generally crisp, unlike those in the afternoon or evening that had wilted under the sun.
The woman asked, “How much for these fragrant chives?”
“Lower than market price. This bunch is only three qian.”
She weighed it and checked for bad leaves.
Kang He wasn’t annoyed; he calmly unwrapped a bundle to show her carefully:
“They’re all clean and fresh, nothing small or weak. If I tricked you by stuffing in yellow leaves, I’d lose your trust forever. That wouldn’t be good business.”
Other customers nearby gathered, whispering.
“Already cleaned like this saves effort. Buy what you need, no waste.”
Though cheap, people loved saving even a little money.
Poor families split one copper coin into two; saving on daily expenses was always welcome.
Kang He understood this well. Now wealthy, he didn’t mind paying for a few vegetables, but he never forgot his humble past.
The woman, quiet, chose two bundles of chives and placed them in her basket.
She then saw four large baskets of bean sprouts below the shelf: crisp, tender, with white strong roots, and small buds growing evenly. Such fresh sprouts were rare elsewhere. She quickly bought two jin.
“Hey, you even sell softshell turtles here?”
Two men behind her noticed large water basins outside with several softshell turtles crawling inside.
Qiao’er was helping at the shop. Seeing their interest, she chatted: “Yes, madam, we have a pond in the countryside raising softshell turtles. Two or three big restaurants in the city buy from us. In autumn, we also have fat loaches and eels.”
“Though spring is warm and bright, there can still be cold snaps. A softshell turtle soup is very nourishing.”
“I don’t know how to kill these hard-shelled turtles, though. I want to buy two for soup.”
Qiao’er smiled: “No problem. We’ll kill them here and bring them home cleaned, ready for cooking.”
“Then I’ll take two.”
Qiao’er quickly caught two turtles, showed them to the man, who nodded in approval. She rolled up her sleeves to prepare for butchering.
Fan Jing stepped forward, taking the turtles: “Little girl, don’t bother with this.”
Qiao’er smiled: “Big brother, don’t underestimate me. I can handle killing turtles.”
Fan Jing said, “Just tell someone to help.”
Qiao’er laughed: “Got it.”
Outside, Fan Jing set up a table by the wall to kill the turtles openly, so no one could accuse them of cheating.
The shop was at the alley’s end; this spot was convenient.
Xie Xiaoliu had been shouting and beating the gong for an hour, his throat dry and burning.
As the day brightened, the shop became busy with customers.
He smiled and jumped down to ask Kang He, “Should I tell the lion dance troupe to start?”
Kang He replied, “Yes, tell them to begin.”
Xie Xiaoliu ran outside, and Kang He called Fan Jing and Yi Huan to bring more dishes from the backyard.
Many vegetables sold well, shelves emptied.
Xie Xiaoliu relayed the message, and a lion dance troupe began performing on the main street outside the alley.
This was a common tactic in the city to attract customers to new shops in quiet alleys.
The troupe’s performance drew a crowd. After a lively show celebrating the new opening, the lions bit a scroll wishing the Fan Family Vegetable Shop prosperous business.
Cheers and applause erupted.
As the crowd started to disperse, Kang He called out, “Passersby, come take a look! Fan Family Vegetable Shop opens today, great discounts! No pressure to buy, just come see!”
“Whether you buy or not, at least come and have a look!”
Fan Jing and Yi Huan brought a jar of rough tea soup. Kang He invited everyone: “Tired from the streets? Come drink some tea, no charge, no sales pressure, just to make friends and let you know there’s a Fan Family Vegetable Shop here.”
Kang He’s long-winded calls paid off. The lion dance troupe brought many people who remembered the shop.
Some just came to chat and congratulate the new business.
Whether the shop made money that day was uncertain, but it had definitely made a name for itself.