Today was the day of Xiao Liulang's exam.

Gu Jiao got up early in the morning, made some noodles, steamed a couple of firm wheat buns, and cooked a pot of wild mushroom soup.

These wild mushrooms were the ones she had picked up on the mountain yesterday. Her first harvest had already been eaten up. After cooking some, there were still a lot of the mushrooms left. She planned to carry them to the market and sell them later.

In fact, she had also picked some wood ears, but fresh wood ears were poisonous. They must be dried first before they could be eaten.

While waiting for the food to be cooked, she went back to her room and took her medicine.

The wounds on her wrist and the back of her head were already healed. Though the medicine was almost used up, there was still more than half of the more effective ointment left.

On the other side, Xiao Liulang was already up too.

Gu Jiao knew that he was studying late last night, so she was careful not to disturb him in the morning, and yet he still got up so early.

Gu Jiao set the table and gave him half a bowl of wild mushroom soup. For fear he might suddenly want to find the latrine during the exam, she especially didn’t fill his bowl full.

However, Gu Jiao didn’t know if it was just her imagination, but she felt like Xiao Liulang inadvertently glanced over with resentment.

The exam would take a whole day, so Gu Jiao packed some steamed buns and water for him.

She paused all of a sudden. Unknown what came to her mind, she stuffed ten more copper coins into the bundle.

Xiao Liulang watched as she stuffed the copper coins inside. His pupils moved but he didn’t speak.

Gu Jiao handed him the bundle and said, "I have already paid for the cart. I also said to take good care of you and to take you until the academy’s gate."

"En." Xiao Liulang answered, took the bundle and walked out the door with his crutch.

Gu Jiao looked at his little crippled leg and held back the idea of sending him to the entrance of the village. She was sure he wouldn’t like that either.

When Xiao Liulang arrived at the entrance of the village, Second Uncle Luo's oxcart was already parked under the locust tree. There were many people sitting there, all of whom were villagers heading for the town to sell their own vegetables and eggs.

When the villagers saw him, they all smiled. Some greeted him with snores.

Xiao Liulang was a scholar. Although he usually looked cold, in fact, he didn’t have much arrogance. Anyone who had a letter they wanted to read or answer would come to him for help. Even though Gu Dashun was also a scholar, Gu Dashun spent the day at a private school and then studied hard at home at night. The villagers seldom disturbed Gu Dashun.

There was one last seat in the cart. It was supposed to be reserved for Xiao Liulang.

Xiao Liulang was about to go up when he felt a figure pass by and stood in front of him.

The other party kept her one hand on the oxcart and used her other hand to support the other figure behind her, saying, “Shunzi, hurry up!” (T/N: I think Shunzi is Gu Dashun’s nickname)

They were the mother and son of the Gu Family’s first branch, Zhou shi and Gu Dashun.

Xiao Liulang was blocked by Zhou shi and didn't have a chance to get on the cart.An auntie on the oxcart said, "Shunzi’s mother, Liulang came first."

Gu Dashun's movement as he climbed up the oxcart suddenly paused. He turned to look past his mother and glanced at Xiao Liulang.

Xiao Liulang looked cold and indifferent.

Zhou shi snorted unconcernedly, "My Shunzi has an exam to take! So what if he was here first? Must my Shunzi be delayed from taking his exam just because he arrived first?"

Everyone in the village knew that Gu Dashun was a promising young man. Not long ago, he was admitted to the county government school. He was a scholar, ah! They heard he didn’t need to kneel down to salute when he saw the county magistrate.

Xiao Liulang was a nice youth, but Gu Dashun's future was more important.

If Gu Dashun could become successful, it would not only bring glory to the Gu Family, but also to the whole Qingquan Village.

No one said another word.

"That..." Second Uncle Luo said awkwardly, "Liulang... is also going to take an exam."

When Gu Jiao came to see Second Uncle Luo last night, she made it clear to Second Uncle Luo that Xiao Liulang was going to take the exam of the academy, and since Xiao Liulang had trouble with his legs and feet, she repeatedly told him he must send him there. He was given two more copper coins for this.

In fact, Second Uncle Luo was quite bewildered. The little fool of the Gu Family, who didn’t pay attention to Xiao Liulang before, suddenly talked and did things as if she was a different person.

But Gu Jiao left before he could ask anything.

Hearing that Xiao Liulang was also going to take an exam, Zhou shi was not at all concerned about it. Could Xiao Liulang's exam be compared with her son's?

On the other hand, Gu Dashun looked at Xiao Liulang with astonishment, "You... Are you going to Tianxiang Academy, too?"

"Yes." Xiao Liulang answered faintly.

Xiao Liulang was already a Tongsheng[1] when he first came to the village. At that time, Gu Dashun was also a Tongsheng. Later, Gu Dashun passed the autumn exam and became a Xiucai[2]. Since Xiao Liulang was still a Tongsheng now, Gu Dashun didn’t think much of Xiao Liulang.

"You haven't even attended a private school..." Gu Dashun shook his head.

His meaning was quite clear: Xiao Liulang couldn’t pass the exam at all.

Second Uncle Luo, who had planned to persuade one of the villagers to make room for Xiao Liulang, silently held back his words.

Since he couldn’t pass the exam anyway, no need to continue worrying about it.

Second Uncle Luo pulled out his purse.

It cost two copper coins to go to the market, and three copper coins to areas that were a bit further. Gu Jiao gave him two more, so a total of five copper coins.

Second Uncle Luo counted out the copper coins and returned them to Xiao Liulang. Gu Dashun was pushed into the oxcart by Zhou shi.

But before he could sit down, a skinny plain hand suddenly reached out from behind him, grabbed him by the collar and pulled him off the oxcart!Gu Dashun was two years older than Xiao Liulang. He was already nineteen years old this year. He was a sturdy young man, and yet he got dragged just like that, causing him to stumble and almost fall to the ground.

Zhou shi was so scared that she hurried to help Gu Dashun.

"Who is it?!” She turned around and snarled.

Then along with the others, she saw the skinny little Gu Jiao.

Gu Jiao's eyes were cold, showing an unrepressed chilliness.

Everyone was stunned.

"Gu Jiao, you’re crazy!” Zhou shi wondered who could be so bold, and it turned out to be this little fool.

"Take back the copper coins." Gu Jiao didn’t even pay any attention to Zhou shi. She only looked at Second Uncle Luo, whose hand was frozen in mid-air, and frowned impatiently, "I paid for the oxcart last night. If you want to go back on your words, you’d better return everyone's money too."

"What do you mean?” Zhou shi asked.

"Literally, if Xiao Liulang can't get on the oxcart today, no one is allowed to get on the oxcart." Gu Jiao explained.

"Just because you say so?" An aunt harrumphed.

Gu Jiao slowly took out a sickle from behind her back, "More like, because I'm a fool?"

Everyone turned white at the sight of the sharp edges of the blade.

Zhou shi, who wanted to rush up and pull Gu Jiao's hair, was so frightened that she dared not take another step forward.

A fool... A fool was capable of anything.

However, this fool didn’t like Xiao Liulang before. How come she suddenly went against her own Gu Family for his sake?

It wasn’t just the villagers who were doubtful, a trace of surprise also flitted across Xiao Liulang's eyes.

“If you plan to invite Old Mister Gu, go ahead." Gu Jiao said as she blew on the sickle that had been polished by herself.

Zhou shi really wanted to do just that. But she was stopped by Gu Dashun.

It didn’t make sense to reason with a fool, and it wasn’t good to delay the exam. Even though Xiao Liulang would miss the exam too, he couldn’t pass the exam in the first place anyway. If he missed it, he missed it. But it was different for him.

Finally, Second Uncle Luo thought of a way. Zhou shi was asked to pay for the goods of one of the villagers, and the villager gave up his seat to Gu Dashun.

Gu Jiao didn’t care whose seat Gu Dashun bought.

However, in order to prevent another accident on the way, Gu Jiao continued to carry the sickle on her back. There was no spare seat for her in the cart, so she dragged her thin and small body and travelled more than ten Li[3] on foot, sending Xiao Liulang safely into the examination hall.

*******

Liulang: Why are you so nice to me?

JiaoJiao: You look good.

Liulang: …..1. ↑ — A scholar without a Xiucai title | scholars that haven't passed the entry-level imperial exam. 2. ↑ — A scholar who has passed the entry-level imperial exams in ancient times; rank/degree obtained after passing the entry-level imperial exam(county exam, prefectural exam, college exam) 3. ↑ — 裡 | lǐ: ancient unit of distance, approx. 500 meters