"It's about that time again, huh."
Mingxia put down the twig she was using to draw and sighed. All of the bright spirited youths had gone off to this year's exams. To Mingxia, the ideas of success, and the chance to move to somewhere with more buzz about it were far gone. Already 20, she was 4 years older than all of the test-goers. And since most of the people in her part of town were young families with children, it didn't leave many people behind.
And so Mingxia had resorted to drawing things in the sand as she waited for everyone to return. She was sure she would be hearing all about the hardships of the test when Xiaoli came back.
Unlike most of the people in town, especially the younger ones, Mingxia was never taught to read or write. She could speak just as well as anyone, albeit with a bit of a country accent, but not so heavy that the city people couldn't understand her. Just about all she could do was draw. She liked sketching the nearby flora in the dirt with a stick but her artwork never lasted very long. The kids would always run over it before the sun set.
The sun was indeed setting now. The test goers would be back soon. Mingxia wondered what they were up to. She never took the test, with her lack of knowledge and whatnot. All she knew was that there were 3 parts; there was the reading and writing sections, rather normal for a test, and there was the cultivation section. From what Mingxia gathered, even if you failed the reading and writing tests, if you received an exceptional mark on the cultivation segment, you would still be able to get a job in the capital. But cultivation required a natural gift that Mingxia did not possess. If your parents had it, it was likely that you would too, but of course it wasn't guaranteed. It gave you the power to do things usually not available to humans, like bearing spellcasted swords and summoning fire with your bare hands. The cultivation powers were so rare that anyone in Mingxia's small town that happened to be blessed with them would be revered as somewhat of a deity.
"Mingxia! We're back!" shouted a voice in the distance. It was Xiaoli, along with a bunch of other townspeople. The test must've been done. Xiaoli looked happy as she waved at Mingxia. She must've done well. Unusual for her. The girl gave the impression that she only cared about drawing little doodles in the dirt. Mingxia patted her on the back and asked how it had gone. That quickly turned into a night of tales from her and the others as they ate by the light of a campfire in the town centre. This time of year was always good. The town chief, excited to sell off some kids and make a profit for the town, would hold a feast in anticipation of making up the cost of it later. That corrupt mayor. Mingxia really would've liked to see herself out of here just to get away from the shady power system, but alas, nobody wanted a girl like her who couldn't even read. She reflected on the thought as everyone lived up the night, dancing and sharing around snacks until sunrise.
. . .
A few weeks later was the time in which the most rumours spread through the small town. That was, the day of the exam award ceremony. Ready to see who had passed and who hadn't, most of the town gathered in the square to see a random government official shake the hands of kids. When you word it that way, it sounds rather boring, or even somewhat repulsive, but in a run-down town with fields surrounding it every which way, every small piece of entertainment was valuable. And so, Mingxia found herself roped in with the crowd attending this ceremony, by the great force that was Xiaoli. She seemed to be very confident that she was going to get an invitation to the capital, and wanted to Mingxia to see her off.
The chairs here are kind of uncomfortable; Mingxia observed. She was getting bored. She wasn't recognising any of the names that were being called out yet, and it was a painstaking process. Every applicant was being called one by one, then they would announce whether they had passed or failed. Anyone who had passed would go up and receive a letter of recommendation from the government official, some would even promptly be escorted away. Those were the lucky ones that were going to the capital for a greater opportunity than they would get if they stayed in the town. Mingxia couldn't imagine it.
Finally, Xiaoli was called.
"Xiaoli received a 46 on the exam. Sadly, this means that she did not pass the requirements," it was a sentence Mingxia'd heard many times today. Of course, the government official was not actually sad. He was probably dying to get out of here and receive his paycheck.
Mingxia's eyes glanced across the room toward Xiaoli. She looked disappointed. Understandable. After all, she seemed like she was ready for her name to be called out and for her to be quickly taken off to the capital to serve as a nobleman's concubine. Of course, there was relatively no point of the childish daydream. Only the most skilled girls with exotic supernatural powers were able to become concubines. Looks played a rather large part as well. Mingxia knew as such. After all, the world was rather unfair. On the whole, Mingxia was relatively unsurprised by the whole ordeal. She would have been more surprised in fact, if Xiaoli had been successful. She knew it was rather rude for her to think as such, but the small girl never really stood a chance.
But then, something much more surprising happened.
"Mingxia!"
Mingxia snapped up, feeling deeply confused. What followed was a halting sense of dread.
"Mingxia received a 96 on the exam, and will therefore be sent to the capital. Mingxia, if you'd be so kind to stand up, we shall bring you there now."
Mingxia, in total and utter shock, stood up. Not to go to the capital, but to protest. They must've gotten her mixed up with someone, right? She didn't even take the exam. If she took this opportunity, not only would she be fumbling to do what they told her to, but another girl in this audience, who actually scored a 96, would be left in the dust.
"H-hold on a second. Are you sure it's me you're looking for? It can't be. Look at me! I can't even read or write, let alone all of this! Is this some kind of sick joke?"
"Oh please Mingxia. I wish you would not be so modest. You have received the highest score in decades! Come on up here!"
"N-no, your honour. I assure you that you are thinking of the wrong perso-"
"Mingxia, if you do not want to come, why did you take the exam? Guards, can you bring her up here?"
'Geez. This guy always thinks he's right, huh. What a nuisance,' Mingxia thought, almost out loud. Around that time, two men came up behind her and took her by the arms, almost as if they were about to handcuff her and kidnap her. They dragged her up to where the government official was.
Mingxia sighed. She knew there was nothing she could do about this now. The man seemed to have the idea that everything he said was correct, no questions asked. And what can you do about a person like that other than go with what they say? Mingxia thought she'd at least have one more go at protesting though, not for her sake, but for the person in her small town that really did get a 96.
She opened her mouth again. "Your honour. I really cannot stress to you enough that-"
"Silence!"
She felt hands behind her again, followed by a piece of cloth. They had gagged her. They took her up to a horse carriage with intricate wood embellishments on the windowsills. It was somehow the grandest thing she had seen in her life. She was pushed into the passenger seat, a guard at her side. With no chance of escaping, she feebly whispered an apology to the poor soul that was robbed of her chance to be a concubine, by a lowly girl that cannot do so much as read.