Chapter 513 - 194: After the Exam
Chapter 513: Chapter 194: After the Exam
When this round of examinations ended and the candidates filed out of the examination hall, many had an unhealthy flush on their faces.
They covered their mouths with their hands, letting out uncontrollable coughs.
Sounds of coughing like this had spread throughout the examination grounds that very afternoon.
It was a good thing they were leaving the examination hall today. Had it been two days later, many would likely have had to be carried out.
De’an had this to say on the matter.
"Don’t they prepare thick clothes in advance? It always rains during the county, Provincial, and Imperial Examinations. That’s wisdom passed down from our predecessors. Better safe than sorry, so how can they be so careless and pretend not to know?"
He then sighed, "The weather turned cold a bit late this time. If the temperature had dropped a few days earlier, a good number of people might have had to withdraw for health reasons. In that case, who knows, I might have been able to pick up..."
Before De’an could finish his sentence, Chen Song clamped a hand over his mouth and dragged him away.
The father and son walked under their oil-paper umbrella to the mouth of the alley next to Wang’s Tea House. Only then did Chen Song release his son and give him a swift kick to the rear.
Caught off guard, De’an staggered and pitched forward, landing face-first in the mud.
The torrential rain beat down, and in an instant, he was soaked to the bone.
De’an was completely bewildered.
"Dad! Dad, what are you doing? I’m your son! I just got out of the examination hall, and this is how you treat me? What did I..."
Before De’an could finish, Chen Song strode over and kicked him again, hard.
"You little brat! If you weren’t my own son, I wouldn’t even bother with you. You’re just unbelievable! Couldn’t you wait until we got home to say such things? You just had to say it right at the gates of the examination hall. If your old man here hadn’t been quick on the uptake, someone would’ve bashed your head in by now."
Chen Song panted with rage. ’How could a man as sharp as me have such a dense son?’ he wondered.
Just then, Xu Su Ying approached at an unhurried pace under her own oil-paper umbrella. On reflex, Chen Song asked, "Is he really my son?"
Xu Su Ying paused. Her eyes darted to the side, where she spotted a walking stick lying in a puddle. Without a second thought as to who it belonged to, she snatched it up and started whacking Chen Song.
Chen Song realized he had misspoken, though he hadn’t meant anything by it.
He dodged awkwardly while raising his hands in surrender. "My dear, my dear, I was wrong! I was just talking nonsense. My dear, please stop! People are looking! I’m a Sixth Rank official, for goodness’ sake..."
’What good was being Sixth Rank?’
’Countless princes and ministers were mighty figures in public but utterly henpecked at home, silenced by a single glare from their wives.’
’And he had the nerve to pull rank on her!’
’If he wasn’t riding on the coattails of her son and daughter’s success, he’d still be a mere constable back in Qingshui County.’
Not wanting to become a public spectacle, Xu Su Ying shot Chen Song a venomous glare and tossed the walking stick back into the puddle. "I’ll deal with you when we get home," she snapped.
De’an’s eyes were shining like a pair of searchlights. Xu Su Ying saw this and shot a fierce glare at her son as well. "You’re next. You and your big mouth. One of these days, someone’s going to throw a sack over your head, beat you senseless, and dump you in a dark alley. Then you’ll learn to be afraid. Now get up! Or what, is the ground not cold? Your clothes not wet? I suppose the rain is nice and warm, is it?"
Sheepishly, De’an scrambled to a sitting position. "Mom, I was just speaking carelessly."
"Careless talk is no excuse. Some things can be said aloud, but other things must remain thoughts in your heart."
Chen Wanqing caught up to them from behind, taking her mother’s arm as they headed for home. "Don’t be angry, Mother. De’an doesn’t have a malicious bone in his body. You know he always says whatever’s on his mind."
"It’s because I know him so well that I deeply regret not teaching him better. That mouth of his... you just watch. If he doesn’t change his ways, there’s no telling how many people he’ll offend in the future."
"Why worry about that now? He’s old enough to be married. You should find him a good wife—preferably one with a fiery personality who can keep him on a tight leash. Then you won’t have to worry anymore, right?"
"That makes sense. Once we’re past this current business, I’ll start looking for him. It’s just a shame the boy has no drive—he can’t even pass the examination to become a scholar. If he had, I could have swallowed my pride and tried to marry him into a noble family. But as things are now... Hmph. I wouldn’t want to subject a poor girl to that."
De’an was speechless. ’What are they even talking about?’
’Did I say I wanted to get married?’
’Being single is so much better. Why would I want someone bossing me around?’
Just then, Zhao Jing walked past. De’an instantly forgot everything else, scrambled up from the ground, and grabbed Zhao Jing’s arm. "How did you do? You’re a shoo-in for a scholar position, right?"
"I should be."
"What about top scorer in the provincial examination? Is that a sure thing?"