Chapter 0007: A Narrow Path for Enemies

Therefore, in order for Xu Jin to obtain the title of Xiucai, he must pass three examinations: the county examination, the prefectural examination, and the provincial examination. The difficulty is indeed considerable, and in summary, it is N times more challenging than the modern entrance examination for junior high school.

Xu Jin smiled and said: "I am merely a humble villager, unworthy of the title 'Young Master.' Where is the esteemed Guo family heading to seek fortune?"

One of the servants muttered discontentedly, "Hey, this kid is quite arrogant!"

Xie Xiaowan blinked and said, "Of course, it's just like that, very sweet!"

On the 30th day of the 10th month in the 12th year of the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty, with only one month remaining until the Spring Festival, the weather grew increasingly cold. Counting the days, Xu Jin had been in the Ming Dynasty for half a month.

What a narrow road for enemies! Xu Jin muttered to himself, steeling his resolve as he approached.

Xie Xiaowan could only take another bite, when she suddenly caught sight of a hint of a smile at the corner of Xu Jin's mouth, and immediately understood, exclaiming: "Husband, you are deceiving me!"

Hmph, it seems I need to find an opportunity to deal with this little brat; otherwise, those country bumpkins won't know how many eyes the King of Horses has! Guo Quan pondered in his heart, and suddenly a flash of inspiration struck him. It seems that that rascal Xu Jin should be attending the school in the village.

The term "Tongsheng" refers to scholars who have passed the first two stages of the Tongzi examination. The Tongzi examination is divided into three stages: the county examination, the prefectural examination, and the provincial examination. Those who pass the county and prefectural examinations can be referred to as Tongsheng, and if they further pass the provincial examination, they will obtain the title of Xiucai.

Xie Xiaowan nodded and said, "Alright, I heard from Aunt Qi that these melons grow very easily. I will ask Aunt Qi for some melon vines later!"

In fact, sweet potatoes have been introduced for several years, and they are cultivated in coastal areas such as Guangdong and Fujian. However, their quantity is not significant, and people merely regard them as a type of fruit, without promoting them as a major staple crop

Xie Xiaowan pouted and said: "I know, my husband still thinks of me as a child, I am going to prepare the lunch box!" After saying that, she picked up the wooden basin and went into the kitchen

The passing villagers all greeted Xu Jin, and his fourth brother Xu Youcai even teased him with a hint of jealousy.

Xu Jin nodded slightly, indicating that the sweet potato must have just been introduced to China not long ago and has not yet been widely cultivated.

Xu Jin amusingly touched his nose, it seems this little girl has become increasingly bold due to his pampering. Back when they first met, a simple thank you had made her uneasy, but now, she even dares to roll her eyes at her husband.

In a prefecture, there are at least several thousand candidates participating in the juvenile examination, yet only about fifty or sixty are ultimately admitted as scholars, making the competition extremely fierce. Many individuals spend their entire lives without becoming scholars. During the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, there were several recorded instances of centenarian candidates taking the imperial examination, with white-haired elderly men mingling among the numerous examinees, which can be considered a remarkable spectacle

Sweet potato is also known as yam. Xu Jin must have eaten it in his previous life, but he only consumed it after it was cooked. He has truly never eaten it raw like this.

The teacher at the private school in Guojiazhuang is an old student, nearly fifty years old. He has participated in the provincial examinations dozens of times, yet has never succeeded in becoming a scholar. Disheartened, he returned to his hometown to open a private school, teaching children to read and write, earning a modest income from tuition fees to make a living

Xu Jin couldn't help but laugh heartily. Although this girl was mature and wise beyond her years, she was still a girl of twelve or thirteen, and at this moment, she revealed a playful and innocent side.

Xu Jin nodded and made a sound of acknowledgment, carrying his book basket as he walked out of the courtyard, gradually moving further away. Suddenly, he turned back and saw the little girl leaning against the wooden gate, and he felt an impulse to return and give her a hug. He couldn't help but smile wryly to himself, realizing that the little girl was becoming increasingly significant in his heart

"Xiao Wan, this pumpkin tastes quite good. Let's plant some in the yard later!" Xu Jin said

Xu Jin teased, "Little girl, do you now understand who is the more foolish one?" After saying this, he took a big bite with a crunch and then handed the sweet potato over again

Then it will not hinder Steward Guo from making a fortune Xu Jin calmly walked past Guo Quan

Guo Quan, accompanied by two servants, was preparing to go to a nearby village to collect debts when he saw Xu Jin approaching. His expression immediately darkened slightly, and with a forced smile, he said: "Oh, isn't this Xu the scholar's son, Jin Ge'er?"

No way, take another bite and see!

As the saying goes: "Reading a book a hundred times, its meaning will naturally become clear." Every day after his morning exercises, Xu Jin recites the Four Books and Five Classics, achieving the goal of reviewing the old and learning the new

Xie Xiaowan nodded and said: "Yes, I heard from Aunt Qi that it was introduced from the foreign lands!"

As Xu Jingang finished reciting the Analects, Xie Xiaowan returned from outside, carrying a wooden basin for washing clothes. Her nose and cheeks were flushed red from the cold, and her dark eyes sparkled brightly. Upon seeing Xu Jing, who was standing in the courtyard with a book in hand, her eyes curved into beautiful crescent shapes as she lightly pushed open the wooden gate and walked in.

"Xiao Wan, did you just say this thing is called a 'fan gua'?" Xu Jin casually asked, as he vaguely recalled that sweet potatoes seemed to originate from South America and were introduced to China during the mid to late Ming Dynasty, although he was unclear about the exact year of their introduction

Xu Jin deliberately frowned and said: "Not sweet!"

Xie Xiaowan hung the clothes out to dry, and then handed the sweet potato, washed clean with water, to Xu Jin, saying: "My husband, please have a taste!"

At that time, there were no world maps or anything of the sort. Ancient people believed that China was at the center of the world, proudly considering themselves a nation of propriety and righteousness, the Celestial Empire. They regarded people from other regions as lacking in propriety and righteousness, even as barbaric savages who consumed raw flesh and blood, collectively referred to as the barbarians from the frontier. Anything that came from the frontier was often prefixed with the character for 'barbarian'.

By the way, Xiaowan, I will be going to the study hall shortly, so do not wander around the house by yourself

Guo Quan's eyes turned as a plan formed in his mind. He smiled at the two servants and said, "Let him be pleased for a while; in a couple of days, I guarantee he will cry. Ha, I, Guo Quan, am not someone to be easily offended."

"If you don't believe it, try it yourself!" Xu Jin brought the sweet potato to Xie Xiaowan's mouth. The latter, with a hint of skepticism, took a bite and then widened her eyes, exclaiming, "It's sweet!"

Xu Jin walked for a while with a basket of books on his back and arrived at Guo Family Village. To his surprise, as soon as he entered the village, he encountered an acquaintance—Steward Guo.

For the past half month, Xu Jin has been getting up early every day to jog in the courtyard. At first, the villagers found it quite unusual, but gradually they became accustomed to it, merely considering Xu Jin, this bookworm, to be indulging himself after a hearty meal

The two servants exchanged a glance of glee, knowing that Xu Jin was in for some misfortune

Xie Xiaowan blushed and took a bite, it was truly sweet, as if it had sweetened her heart.

Xu Jin originally wanted to say that at least the skin should be peeled off, but looking at the little girl's expectant gaze, he ultimately could not bring himself to say it. For the ancients, who had not even resolved their basic needs, peeling the skin was undoubtedly an extremely wasteful act

Xie Xiaowan pulled out a large sweet potato from under her clothes and giggled, "Husband, you are so foolish!"

Xu Jin ran around the courtyard for dozens of laps, stopping only when he began to sweat slightly. He then washed his face with cold water and took out the "Analects" to recite aloud.

In this manner, each took a bite, and a sweet potato was completely shared between the young couple

"My lord, can you guess what is in the basin?" Xie Xiaowan approached Xu Jin, presenting her treasure as if it were a precious gift.

Xie Xiaowan shook her head and said: "The land at home is all used for growing grain, who would waste it on planting such things? Aunt Qi also planted a few in her yard. Today, while washing clothes by the river, I happened to run into Aunt Qi washing the gourds, and everyone got a piece to taste!"

Guo Quan chuckled and said, "Jin Ge'er is still so eloquent. Look, I was just about to go to Huangcun to collect some debts. Alas, with the New Year approaching, if I don't collect the debts owed by those mud-legged fellows, it will be a tough year ahead!"

The private school, located in the neighboring village of Guojiazhuang, was established by an elderly scholar and primarily teaches children to read and write, referred to as elementary education

Brother Jin, you are up so early to go for a run

Xu Jin took the sweet potato and bit into it with a crunch. Although the skin was quite rough, it was indeed very sweet

At first, Xie Xiaowan was intimidated by the family rules mentioned by Xu Jin, but after experiencing it once, she realized that the family rules merely involved a spanking on the buttocks.

"My dear, be careful on the road and do not return too late, otherwise it will be dark and you won't be able to see the way!" Xie Xiaowan gently reminded Xu Jin while helping him tidy his clothes, the ten-year-old girl resembling a wise and virtuous wife.

Xie Xiaowan licked her lips and asked, "My husband, is it sweet?"

In the early morning, although the sun has already risen, the temperature remains quite low. Xu Jin is jogging around his yard in circles, and the breath he exhales instantly condenses into white mist.

Half an hour later, Xu Jin shouldered the book basket, which contained books as well as the lunch that Xiao Wan had prepared for him

Xu Jin was indeed attentive; sweet potatoes are remarkably resilient, capable of thriving even in barren soil, and they yield a substantial harvest, making them a powerful solution to the problem of famine

Guo Quan's expression was gloomy as he twisted the mouse whiskers, feeling quite displeased. The incident of him being humiliated at Xu Jin's house had already spread, significantly affecting his prestige. In recent days, when he went to collect debts, those peasants even dared to bargain with him, which was something that had never happened before.

Xie Xiaowan said in confusion: "It can't be! Aunt Qi clearly said that this melon is very sweet!"

Xu Jin felt a stir in his heart and asked, "Do many people in the village grow gourds?"

Xu Jin was somewhat speechless, realizing that he had indeed regarded this girl as a child

Hey, I am a scholar, so why would I engage in manual labor!

Xu Jin has been recuperating and exercising at home for half a month. He feels that his health has improved somewhat. Additionally, during this time, he has been reading and has accumulated many areas of confusion. Therefore, today he plans to visit the study hall to seek guidance from this esteemed teacher.

"Alright, dare to mock your husband for being foolish? Do you believe that the family rules will take care of you!" Xu Jin lightly tapped a book on Xie Xiaowan's head, causing her to shyly roll her eyes at someone and awkwardly walk away.

"Tenth Brother, what benefit is there in your slow and sluggish running? It would be better for you to join us in the fields and work with the hoe for half a day."

Although the old scholar has failed to pass the examination for a lifetime, Xu Jin does not look down upon him. After all, there are many reasons for failing an exam, and it does not necessarily mean that one's knowledge is lacking. Moreover, the old scholar has participated in so many imperial examinations, and it is certain that he is experienced; seeking his advice is also beneficial.

"What’s going on, did you find a treasure?" Xu Jin smiled as he glanced into the wooden basin, only to find it filled with freshly washed clothes, leaving him somewhat bewildered

Xu Jin was taken aback: "Is it really that simple to eat?"