Chapter 204: Just a foil
It happened to be the time of the re-examination, and many scholars flocked to Kaiyang County, so the restaurant rooms were full.
Liu Ji was able to return to the academy dormitory, but Qin Yao could only unload the book box in the corner of the restaurant's backyard and spend the night in the carriage.
You can lie down anywhere in the mountains, and there is a roof to protect you, so Qin Yao had no complaints at all.
The restaurant lobby was also full, and the couple waited in line for a long time before they could have a hot meal.
The chef in the kitchen knew Qin Yao's appetite very well and directly served her five servings.
Of course, the checkout is much more expensive than others.
Liu Ji watched Qin Yao take out the silver without blinking, and then touched his empty wallet, feeling envious and wanting to cry.
After Qin Yao paid the bill, she turned around and saw his resentful expression. She reminded him coldly,
"You have a retest tomorrow. Why don't you go back to the dormitory and review your lessons early?"
The ten taels of silver she had given out before were all wasted because of a re-examination, and now she is in a very bad mood!
Liu Ji was very tactful and naturally did not dare to provoke her at this time.
This is not his home. If he dies, no one will collect his body.
"My lady, I will go back to the academy first. You should also rest early." Liu Ji looked concerned.
Qin Yao urged impatiently: "I'll pick you up tomorrow morning."
"Okay." Liu Ji left the restaurant with a smile. As he turned around, his smile instantly disappeared, leaving only a look of uneasiness in his eyes.
He thought he was destined to have a sleepless night.
But I didn't expect that I would fall asleep as soon as I lay down on the bed in the dormitory.
When Liu Ji woke up with a start, the morning light had already appeared in the sky.
Remembering that Qin Yao said she would pick him up to take him to the examination room, he quickly got up, prepared the things he needed to enter the examination room, and carried the heavy book box out of the academy gate.
There were several classmates in my group. We all had passed the exam, but within an hour we were delighted. Then we received the bad news of the re-examination. We were all anxious and sleepless all night. We were all listless.
The book says, "At the beginning, the effort is strong, the second is weak, and the third is exhausted." This is the true portrayal of the students in the academy at this moment.
In comparison, Liu Ji had a good sleep all night and felt refreshed, which attracted many of his classmates who looked at him sideways and secretly envied his good attitude.
After all, I have just returned from the border, so my state of mind is stable.
When Qin Yao drove the carriage to the gate of the academy, Liu Ji just came out. The couple looked at each other and had a tacit understanding that needed no words.
Liu Ji sat on the empty shaft on the other side of the carriage, and under the jealous gazes of his classmates, he followed his wife to the examination site.
Qin Yao even brought him breakfast. The food in the restaurant was a hundred times better than that in the roadside stalls.
But as he was eating, Liu Ji felt a chill down his spine. Could this be his last meal?
Forget it, it's just the last meal of execution, I'll just eat it first and talk about it later, such delicious food must not be missed!
Before entering the examination room, Qin Yao gave Liu Ji a rare gentle smile and patted his shoulder, "Relax and do well in the exam."
I thought to myself: I can't let my investment go to waste.
Liu Ji: "What if he fails?" Will he die without a burial place?
Qin Yao said softly: "It doesn't matter, try again next year. If it doesn't work next year, try again the year after. If you persevere, you will pass the exam."
It was an unexpected answer, he thought she would say something like kill him.
Liu Ji was so moved that non-existent tears welled up in his eyes. He held Qin Yao's hand tightly and said, "Don't worry, my wife. I will do my best!"
After saying this, he let go of her hand before her expression changed, picked up his book box, and resolutely walked into the examination room.
Qin Yao watched him go through the gate, turned around, took out the bookcase from the carriage, placed it diagonally opposite the examination room, and started selling it!
The couple, one selling the bookcase at the door, collected and counted the money and were as happy as gods.
One of them was taking a retest in the room, feeling nervous and tense, with sweat dripping down his face.
But there was one very strange thing. Liu Ji found that not only did his seat not change at all, but even the scholars sitting in front, behind, and on both sides of him were exactly the same as in the previous preliminary exam.
They looked at each other and saw the same confusion in each other's eyes.
Afterwards, twice as many invigilators as in the first preliminary exam came in, guarding the four corners of east, south, west and north respectively, staring at everyone present with eyes as sharp as eagles.
Some of the younger ones were so nervous that their hands were shaking.
Liu Ji didn't feel anything. Compared to Qin Yao's death stare, it was nothing.
After the chief examiner has finished reading out the examination rules, the examination papers will be distributed.
Liu Ji took a deep breath and prayed to God that the questions on the test paper would be easier.
When the examiner read out the name "Liu Ji", Liu Ji immediately stood up and went forward to receive his own test paper and answer sheet.
Returning to his seat and opening the test paper, Liu Ji was stunned.
Not only him, but the people around him also had the same expression.
Because the questions on the test paper are exactly the same as those in the preliminary exam.
Liu Ji immediately raised his head, and his eyes met the student on his left. The two of them quickly exchanged glances, and they realized that both the previous preliminary exam and this re-examination were just a setup for someone.
They are just a foil.
But Liu Ji is more than willing to be this foil!
Everyone understood each other tacitly and answered silently. Because it was the same question and everyone had exchanged answers after the initial test, Liu Ji felt no pressure at all when answering and it could even be considered easy.
Soon, he filled up the answer sheet, but it was still early and no one dared to hand in the paper early.
Not until the first person stood up did people leave one after another.
Seeing that most people had left, Liu Ji stood up calmly, straightened his clothes, and walked out of the examination room calmly.
The 19 book boxes that Qin Yao brought were sold out early, causing a frenzy of buying them. The book boys from each family were so afraid that they would not be able to get them that they almost got into a fight.
I couldn't find it, so I asked for the store address and planned to buy it at Qin Yao's next time.
Unfortunately, Qin Yao doesn't have a store, so she can only apologize to them.
"But I'll come to the market again next time."
Everyone asked her to bring more book boxes next time, and then dispersed because the candidates had already appeared one after another.
Qin Yao counted the money and handed it to the official in charge of the market as a commission tax, so she received a total of ten taels.
When Liu Ji left the examination room, Qin Yao was sitting in front of a pancake stall opposite the examination room, drinking soup and eating pancakes. The pancakes were filled with meat and mushrooms, and were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a fresh and fragrant taste.
Seeing Liu Ji appear, Qin Yao immediately raised her hand and waved.
Liu Ji walked over with the excitement of carrying a secret in his heart, picked up the remaining half bowl of soup in front of her and drank it in one gulp to calm his nerves.
"You want..." Before she even said the word "die", Liu Ji sat down opposite her and shouted to the stall owner confidently: "Give me another serving of this!"
The stall owner agreed with a smile, brought three mushroom meat patties and a bowl of bone soup, and placed them in front of Liu Ji.
Seeing that he had a book box next to him and had just walked out of the examination room, I congratulated him first.
Liu Ji smiled politely, "Thank you very much!"
After the stall owner left, he picked up the meat pie with one hand and ate it, while leaning in front of Qin Yao and whispering to her: "My lady, this time it's safe!"
If he is still not on the list, he will also report it. At worst, everyone can do it again!
Qin Yao raised his eyebrows and raised his palm to give Liu Ji a slap in the face. At this moment, he heard the word "stable" and urgently retracted his strength, almost "touching" Liu Ji's handsome face.
A cool hand stroked his face, and Liu Ji, who had a look of enjoyment on his face, had goose bumps all over his body as he smiled.
It was a close call, I almost got beaten.
The stall owner who witnessed the whole process felt his heart throb. Is there anyone who would care about the life and death of this widower?!
(End of this chapter)