The night wind howled like a woman's wailing, but within the courtyard of the Liu Family's mansion, faint sounds of laughter could be heard.
Tomorrow was the Imperial examination, and Liu Zide, the youngest son of the Liu Family, would also enter the fray early on. Wang Chunchi, Liu's aunt, had specially prepared a feast to celebrate her son's upcoming journey to the examination hall.
The table was laden with chicken, duck, and beef, and in the center was a bowl of bird's nest soup. Wang Chunchi picked up the small bowl of bird's nest and handed it to her youngest son, her smile especially bright, "My son, after you finish this bowl, you'll have to endure a few hard days in the examination cells."
