Thankfully, Chen De’an and Zhao Jing had brought a piece of oilcloth with them every time they went to the examination hall. During the fourth exam, Chen Song had even mentioned his knees were aching and he was worried it might rain. Adopting a "better safe than sorry" attitude, the two of them fastened the oilcloth in place as soon as they reached their new examination stalls.

When the rain started, the two of them quickly moved their things further inside, and their exam papers managed to stay dry.

They were spared, but during that session, many unprepared candidates suffered.

Not long after the rain began, you could hear the wails of despair from many candidates through the curtain of rain. Their exam papers were clearly ruined, all their previous efforts wasted...

Back in the present, Xu Su Ying led the two of them home. At this point, Chen Wanqing was just finishing up the last dish: spicy diced chicken.

Hearing their footsteps, she poked her head out to look. Not seeing Chen Song, she asked, "Did Dad stay at the examination hall?"

"You bet he did. He clearly took time off, but he just can’t sit still. He’s always wandering over to the county government office for one reason or another. But this time, something really is happening. It’s so crowded, people are packed shoulder to shoulder. I just hope nothing bad happens."

Chen Wanqing said, "It should be fine. They’re the families of scholars, after all. They should have some decorum."

"I wouldn’t be so sure."

Zhao Jing sat on a small stool and started helping with the fire. When Chen Wanqing saw this, she said with heartfelt concern, "You don’t have to do that. Go rest in the main hall. You must be exhausted after so many days of exams. I’ve left some warm water to cool in the house. You and De’an can have a cup to soothe your throats. Just wait a little longer. As soon as this last dish is done, we can eat."

"I’m not tired, just mentally exhausted. Talking with you is a good way to clear my head, Sister. Did you make all the dishes today?"

"I made most of them. There’s a Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, but the ingredients were too hard to find, so Mom made that one, though I helped her. Mom said it’s a dish from the south and it’s delicious. You can see if you like it in a bit. I’ve already learned how to make it, so if you like it, I can make it for you when you go home."

"Thank you, Sister."

Chen Song still hadn’t returned by the time Chen Wanqing finished the last dish. It was only after Yao’an, too impatient to wait any longer for dinner, ran out to hurry him along that Chen Song finally rushed back. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

To reward the two exam candidates, they had prepared an incredibly lavish feast.

On the table were braised pork ribs, spicy diced chicken, fish with pickled greens, scallion-fried beef, duck steamed in rice wine, pork bones in soy sauce, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, and a spinach and pork liver soup.

There were two stir-fried vegetable dishes: simple stir-fried spinach and stuffed tofu. There were also two cold dishes: a dandelion salad to cool the body, and a salad of wolfberry shoots.

The dishes on the table were all common, home-style fare, yet they were also the kind of fine food that ordinary folk could only afford to eat on holidays and special occasions.

To put together such a spread, Xu Su Ying and Chen Wanqing had truly pulled out all the stops.

They had even called in a favor with Mrs. Ying just to gather all the seafood needed for the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall.

Mrs. Ying had a loyal customer whose family owned a restaurant. The restaurant was sure to have seafood that couldn’t be found anywhere else.

So, after calling in favors and spending a great deal of money, they finally managed to buy what Xu Su Ying needed.

Fortunately, the money was well spent.

Seeing the whole family, young and old, eating without even looking up, each one with a look of pure satisfaction on their face, Xu Su Ying’s little pang of regret over the cost completely vanished.

Chen Song was a simple, unrefined man. He ate whatever Xu Su Ying put on his plate without complaint, but he especially loved the sea cucumber in the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. He even said to Xu Su Ying, "This stuff is so savory and springy, it’s absolutely delicious. We should make this a regular dish at home."

Xu Su Ying snorted lightly. "We can’t."

"Why not? Is it expensive? Well, eating it once a month should be fine, right?"

Xu Su Ying didn’t reply, simply telling Chen Song, "That one piece in your bowl, the one that’s half the size of your palm, is worth one tael of silver."

Chen Song was dumbfounded. A wheezing sound came from his throat, and it took him a long moment to find his voice. "So you’re telling me that in just a few bites, I’ve eaten five taels?"

"It’s not that much. Just once a month, that’s all."

"No, no, let’s not, dear wife. From now on, let’s just have it on holidays and special occasions. Don’t buy it any other time. My entire monthly salary wouldn’t be enough to buy more than a few of these sea cucumbers. Good heavens... at this price, they’re practically on par with ginseng!"

The whole table roared with laughter.

But after learning the sea cucumber’s value, both Zhao Jing and De’an felt a little intimidated and stopped reaching for the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall with their chopsticks.

Seeing this, Xu Su Ying couldn’t help but shoot Chen Song a reproachful look.

Chen Song felt aggrieved. He wasn’t the one who had brought up the price.