SMMW | Chapter 2

“Young master, young master? Please wake up, the old madam has come to see you.” The young servant gave a soft reminder, and Wen Qing straightened up in his seat again.

Madam Wen carried in a food box and said with a slight frown, “You have never been lax in your studies. You will definitely pass the county-level exam seven days from now and become a xiucai. There is no need to work this hard these next few days. It would be worse if you fell ill.”

Wen Qing blinked, and only answered after a few beats, “I know, Mother.”

Madam Wen showed a helpless expression, opened the food box, and took out a bowl of porridge. “Mother just made this. It calms the spirit and brightens the eyes. Eat it, then go to sleep.”

“Yes.” He was probably exhausted. He was still speaking slowly, and only after staring at it for a moment did he realize he should pick up the spoon.

The moment a spoonful of porridge went into his mouth, Wen Qing jolted awake. His features twisted together, and he swallowed with a pained expression.

“Cough, cough, so salty!” He coughed earth-shakingly, shouting as he poured tea into his mouth.

Madam Wen hurriedly told the servants to bring water and a spittoon. She had never been skilled at cooking to begin with, and the rare time she made porridge, it turned into this kind of joke, which left her not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

After that bit of commotion, Wen Qing’s schedule returned to its usual hours. With his mind at ease as he studied, time flashed by, and very soon it was the day of the county-level exam.

There was a bit of wind that morning. Just before he went out, his mother told him to put on another layer, but Wen Qing was afraid of missing the time, and also afraid thick clothes would make writing inconvenient, so he did not wear it.

With all those years of diligent study as his foundation, Wen Qing was not nervous. Among the questions, “Using moral instruction as the theme, with feng as the rhyme word, compose a poem,” was one he had correctly predicted. Other than the fact that he was indeed a little cold, there was no other obstacle.

On the day the results were posted, he became the top scorer of the county-level exam. His name was written in enlarged characters in the first column. Wen Qing knew he would pass, but becoming the top scorer was still beyond his expectations. He froze in place with joy, then turned back to look and found that his usually stern mother’s eyes had curved into smiling crescents. She was so happy she could not stop herself, and even wanted to hold a grand banquet to thank his teacher.

Wen Qing smiled and nodded too, then looked around. There were those full of spirit and ambition, but even more wore bleak, miserable expressions. After all, only a small number had made the list. Among them was one scholar whose looks were plain, but the exhaustion on his face was especially eye-catching. He wore a coarse blue robe patched in places, and his hands were rough. Presumably, outside of studying, he also had to help his family with farm work. Most likely he had not passed. He only stared at the posted results with hollow eyes, saying nothing, standing there for a very long time without moving.

The road of study was truly arduous. Wen Qing felt many emotions rise in his heart. But that little bit of emotion was quickly washed away by his mother’s delight. Surrounded by others, he returned home and accepted congratulations from classmates and neighbors. By the time he came back to himself, the sky was already dark.

The exhaustion of these past days piled up in his body. Lying on the bed, he thought, at last, he could finally rest a little.

……

“Young master, young master? Please wake up, the old madam has come to see you.” The young servant gave a soft reminder, and Wen Qing straightened up in his seat again, unable for a moment to tell where he was.

Madam Wen carried in a food box and said with a slight frown, “You have never been lax in your studies. You will definitely pass the county-level exam seven days from now and become a xiucai. There is no need to work this hard these next few days. It would be worse if you fell ill.”

Wen Qing blinked. He only felt that this scene seemed strangely familiar, and only answered after a few beats, “Mother, your child knows.”

Madam Wen showed a helpless expression, opened the food box, and took out a bowl of porridge. “Mother just made this. It calms the spirit and brightens the eyes. Eat it, then go to sleep.”

“…Yes.” Wen Qing answered hesitantly. Looking at that bowl of porridge, he felt a bad premonition rise in him. He held the spoon, but for a long while did not move.

“What’s wrong?” Madam Wen asked in puzzlement.

Wen Qing shook his head and brought the spoon to his mouth, tasting just a little of it with care.

As expected, it was salty!

His features scrunched together, and he swallowed with a pained expression.

“Cough, cough, still so salty!” Wen Qing coughed earth-shakingly, shouting as he poured tea into his mouth.

Madam Wen hurriedly told the servants to bring water and a spittoon. She had never been skilled at cooking to begin with, and the rare time she made porridge, it turned into this kind of joke, which left her not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Wen Qing let the servants tidy the table, but his heart only grew heavier and heavier. He felt that he had already experienced all of this before. But with the county-level exam close at hand, he had no time to think too much about it.

After that bit of commotion, Wen Qing’s schedule returned to its usual hours, and time flashed by as he studied with peace of mind. The doubts in his heart had still not dispersed, so he deliberately reviewed the exam questions from the “dream” and waited to verify them.

On the day of the county-level exam, there was a bit of wind in the morning. Madam Wen had wanted Wen Qing to put on an extra layer before leaving, only to discover that he had already dressed warmly. Secretly, she felt pleased.

“Using moral instruction as the theme, with feng as the rhyme word, compose a poem.”

It really was this one.

But he had already reviewed this question before as a predicted topic in the past, so if he had some impression of it in a “dream,” that was only normal. Wen Qing forcibly suppressed his discomfort and tried hard to focus his mind on the exam.

On the day the results were posted, just as expected, he became the top scorer of the county-level exam, his name written in enlarged characters in the first column.

His mother was delighted as usual and prepared to hold a grand banquet to thank his teacher.

Wen Qing nodded absentmindedly and looked around. Scholars who were spirited, scholars whose faces were miserable, and scholars who were wailing and crying gathered in one place. He could only make out emotion, not distinguish their faces.

It was not that he could distinguish none at all. Under the posted list, one calm and composed scholar was especially eye-catching. The main reason was that his looks were truly handsome. Sword brows, bright star-like eyes, a tall slender figure standing there like bamboo and pine. He looked utterly out of place in the patched coarse blue robe he wore, more like some wealthy young master from a noble family.

Wen Qing felt he looked somewhat familiar, but could not remember where he had seen him before.

Someone asked him what rank he had gotten.

He answered that he had not passed.

He had not passed and was still this calm?

Wen Qing could not understand it. But that small confusion was quickly scattered by his mother’s joy. Surrounded by others, he returned home and accepted congratulations from classmates and neighbors. By the time he came back to himself, the sky was already dark.

The exhaustion and overthinking of these past days were all packed into his body. Lying on the bed, he thought, I can finally rest a little. That strange dream can wait until after I wake up.

……

“Young master, young master? Please wake up, the old madam has come to see you.” The young servant gave a soft reminder, and Wen Qing straightened up in his seat again, realizing that he had returned to the desk once more.

Madam Wen carried in a food box and said with a slight frown, “You have never been lax in your studies. You will definitely pass the county-level exam seven days from now and become a xiucai. There is no need to work this hard these next few days. It would be worse if you fell ill.”

Wen Qing frowned and did not answer. All of this was too strange. He no longer believed the explanation of a “dream.”

Seeing him sitting there in a daze, Madam Wen showed a helpless expression. She opened the food box and took out a bowl of porridge. “Mother just made this. It calms the spirit and brightens the eyes. Eat it, then go to sleep.”

Wen Qing held the spoon and did not move for a long time. “Mother, this porridge is salty.”

“You haven’t even eaten it yet, how would you know?” Madam Wen asked in confusion.

Wen Qing said nothing. He only passed the spoon over. Seeing how serious he looked, Madam Wen took it and tasted a little. Sure enough, it was salty.

She swallowed it down with difficulty. Before she could even give instructions, Wen Qing had already handed over a teacup.

Madam Wen rinsed her mouth with the help of the old maidservant attending her. She had never been skilled at cooking to begin with, and the rare time she made porridge, it turned into this kind of joke, which left her not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

“Mother, I don’t know how to explain it to you,” Wen Qing looked at his mother in pain and solemnity, “this is already the third time. It keeps repeating, the same things, all of them happened. I clearly already finished the exam, yet I keep returning to this day. The same desk, the same people, the same food…”

Wen Qing looked at the worried expression on his mother’s face. The more he spoke, the softer his voice became, until at last he fell silent.

“Lately… have you been too tired from studying?” Madam Wen asked softly.

“I just now… dreamed. I dreamed about the exam.” Wen Qing looked at the floor tiles and spoke in a low voice.

Madam Wen walked closer and helped her son straighten his collar. In a gentle voice, she said, “Go to sleep earlier. Shall Mother have them light some calming incense for you?”

Wen Qing nodded and pressed his lips together hard. He himself could not make sense of it, and if he said it aloud, it would only make his mother worry and be frightened along with him.

After that bit of commotion, Wen Qing’s schedule returned to its usual hours. His mother also intentionally had many soothing medicinal dishes prepared for him. No matter what, he had prepared for the county-level exam for a long time already. He could not possibly give it up. Deliberately ignoring all the strangeness, he studied with peace of mind, and time flashed by.

On the day of the county-level exam, Wen Qing put on thick clothes in advance.

And sure enough, on the exam paper was: “Using moral instruction as the theme, with feng as the rhyme word, compose a poem.”

But unexpectedly, on the day the results were posted, he became second place.

In the column for the top scorer, written in enlarged characters, were the two words “Yuan Hao,” a name that had never appeared in the previous two rounds.

His mother was still happy and prepared to hold a banquet to thank his teacher.

Wen Qing nodded, then looked around. The scholars were gathered in one place.

Someone asked, “What rank did you get?”

One person answered, “First.”

Everyone turned to look in the direction of that voice, then all of them looked together at that person’s face. Only then did Wen Qing realize that the one who had said he took first place was actually that handsome scholar in the patched coarse blue robe!

This time… he passed? His name was Yuan Hao?

Madam Wen also looked over there and remarked with feeling, “What a talented young man.”

Seeing that Wen Qing kept looking that way, Madam Wen guessed that her son had thoughts of making his acquaintance, so she encouraged him, “Tomorrow we are holding a banquet to thank your teacher. You may as well invite Yuan Xiucai to come sit at our home for a while. From now on, you will be fellow students too.”

Wen Qing was jolted awake by the reminder. After agreeing, he hurried over. Only when he got close did he realize Yuan Hao was half a head taller than he was. He had to tilt his head slightly to meet his eyes. “I am Wen Qing. May I ask this brother’s honored name?”

“This untalented one is surnamed Yuan, given name Hao, from Hezhou County.” The young man replied stiffly and properly.

“So it is Yuan Xiucai before me. I was just about to congratulate Brother Yuan for taking first place in the county-level exam. My home is hosting a banquet tomorrow, with a little modest wine prepared. Might I ask whether you would honor us with your presence?”

Yuan Hao first looked at Wen Qing in silence, then suddenly muttered in a low voice, “So you’re Wen Qing?”

The question was abrupt and strange. Just as Wen Qing did not know how to answer, Yuan Hao’s expression had already returned to normal. He skipped right over it and raised his hand in return salute. “I am honored by your elegant invitation. I will certainly attend.”

After all, he was the top scorer of the county-level exam. Seeing that Wen Qing had gotten the first move, the surrounding scholars all rushed over to strike up a conversation. Wen Qing was squeezed off to one side, then surrounded again as he returned home and accepted congratulations from classmates and neighbors. By the time he came back to himself, the sky was already dark.

The exhaustion of these past days was packed into his body. Lying on the bed, he thought, will there be another repetition? He thought of Yuan Hao. In these several repeated cycles, it seemed that only Yuan Hao was different. Yuan Hao… someone with such bearing… why was it that, the first time… he had not seen him…

“Young master, young master? Please wake up.” The young servant gave a soft reminder.

With his eyes still closed, Wen Qing muttered, “Mother came to deliver porridge?”

“What are you saying? You slept yourself silly.” The servant’s tone carried delight. “Today is the thank-the-teacher banquet. The old madam told you to get up early and try on your clothes.”

“Oh, right, the thank-the-teacher banquet.” Wen Qing opened his eyes, and the stone pressing on his heart finally fell away. At last, things were normal. He did not need to be trapped in… a nightmare anymore.