Chapter 2: Protecting Ginger Sprout

Jiang Yar carefully moved the leaves aside and saw dozens of mushrooms growing under the tree roots. Although they were no bigger than her little finger, they were delicate and lovely.

She dug some of the larger ones and put them in the basket. She marked the ones that hadn't fully grown with pine leaves, planning to come back and check on them later.

The villagers had a rule when it came to mushroom picking: they shouldn't take too many, just seven or eight would suffice. Otherwise, they would face consequences.

After this delay, she realized it was already dark. She had to hurry back to cook and quickly grabbed the firewood to head down the mountain.

Chen Ping'an was at home reading. In his previous life, he had passed the provincial examination, but his ranking was beyond the top ten. To enter the imperial academy, he needed to be among the top candidates.

One step late, always late. Without being among the top candidates, he could only study in the county. This year's provincial examination was presided over by the head of the Luming Academy. The head didn't accept mediocre talents, and Ping'an's essays were not up to par. He had taken the extremely difficult "cross-chapter composition." Lacking exposure to learning in the county, he failed to pass the imperial examination and had to wait for the next one in three years.

Another year and a half had passed. This time, he aimed for the top candidates and was determined not to slack off.

His knowledge from his previous life was here, and he had a clear understanding of the books. So, he picked up a stick and practiced calligraphy on the ground.

After years in the imperial court, he had excellent cursive handwriting. However, now, Chen Ping'an was just a country boy. A few days ago, he had written standard regular script, but in the examination hall, it had turned into cursive script. Wouldn't that be a giveaway? He had to think of another way.

As he was drawing on the ground, his regular script gradually transformed into cursive, becoming more skillful and sharp.

It started to rain.

The snowflakes covered Ping'an's words on the ground. He wiped his face and looked towards the end of the road. The mountain was shrouded in snow. Why hadn't Yar returned yet? What if something happened to her on the mountain? The mountain road was slippery. He hoped nothing had happened.

Ping'an threw the stick and ran up the mountain. Not far from the house, he saw Jiang Yar struggling to pull the net by the river.

The winter net had frozen on the surface of the lake, just like ice debris. How could a young girl like her manage it? She saw fish in the net and hesitated for a long time before letting them go.

"Yar, why are you here?"

Seeing Chen Ping'an running towards her from the small path, Jiang Yar was startled. Her grandmother had repeatedly warned her not to have any accidents before the provincial examination. With such heavy snow, what if she caught a cold?

"I'm here to help you pull the net!"

"Quick, go away. I'll be done soon!" Perhaps Ping'an had given her strength. With a forceful pull, she lifted a fish from the net, watching it wriggle and jump, a pleasing sight.

"Let's go!" Yar held the firewood and the net, dodging when Ping'an tried to take it from her. She walked ahead, looking joyful. "I had good luck today. I found a bunch of mushrooms on the mountain and caught some fish. I'll make a stew with fish and mushrooms for you later. It'll definitely be nourishing."

Ping'an's eyes were filled with warmth as he watched her spread the damp firewood outside to dry and then skillfully kill the fish, wash the mushrooms, and carefully clean the leaves and debris from the mushrooms.

"Don't move... Let's go, go study. How does that saying go? A nobleman should stay away from the kitchen!"

"A nobleman stays away from the kitchen!" Ping'an continued. Yar blushed, as she had never read books and had only heard others say it. She had revealed her ignorance as soon as she spoke.

She didn't know if Ping'an would look down on her. She timidly looked at him and relaxed when she saw no change in his expression. Ping'an was truly different now.

But no matter what, it was a rule that men should stay out of the kitchen. If her grandmother saw her letting Ping'an do these things, she would definitely scold her. Just as she was thinking about it, Mrs. Wu came out of the house. Yar had returned late today, and she was also feeling hungry.

As soon as she came out, she saw Yar killing fish. She felt a little relieved. In this season, a rural family could still get fresh fish. Yar was someone who could endure hardship.

But when she took a closer look, she saw Ping'an squatting next to Yar, washing the mushrooms. She couldn't hold back and scolded Yar, pointing and blaming her. "You can't even do a small task properly. What can we expect from you?"

Mrs. Wu was a formidable woman, sharp-tongued and thrifty. Yar had seen it before and didn't explain, letting Mrs. Wu vent her anger and then serve her food.

"Mother, it's so cold, and Yar went to the mountain to fetch firewood. Her shoes are wet. I had nothing to do, so I helped her wash the mushrooms. What's wrong with that? After we finish, you can eat earlier, can't you?"

Yar felt uncomfortable and shrank inside. The shoe surface was already wet, and the soles of her feet were icy cold. She hadn't expected Ping'an to notice.

"You're a scholar! How can you do these things?"

"What if I don't pass?"

"Phew! Phew! Phew!" Mrs. Wu folded her hands and chanted to the Buddha and the deities, not listening to Ping'an's nonsense. She then turned to him. "The master said you are the heavenly Wenqu star who has descended to earth. How could you not pass? Which child in Chenjiawan is as smart as you?"

Ping'an was Mrs. Wu's pride. For his education, she had separated from her eldest and second sons. Her eldest grandson had passed the provincial examination two years ago, and her daughter-in-law had become more proud. She had even indirectly criticized Mrs. Wu several times, saying that she only cared for her youngest son and would regret it later.

She was waiting for Ping'an to come and help her regain her face. But she didn't expect Ping'an to say such discouraging words. She was so angry that she wanted to hit him with a broom, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She could only glare fiercely at Yar.

Jiang Yar knew she had to appease her mother-in-law to keep herself safe, so she quickly spoke a lot of kind words to calm down Mrs. Wu's anger.

As the fresh crucian carp and mushroom soup was served, the atmosphere in the room was still not very harmonious.

In the past, Ping'an had not treated Jiang Yar well, and Mrs. Wu had been somewhat fond of her. Now that Ping'an had changed her attitude, Mrs. Wu felt that Yar had grown up and started to have thoughts about attracting men. After all, she was already fifteen years old.

In the village, girls as young as fifteen were already becoming mothers, but Ping'an was only twelve. She couldn't be allowed to be distracted by thoughts of men. Mrs. Wu was still waiting for her to pass the imperial examination and become an official!

With these thoughts in mind, Mrs. Wu put down her chopsticks and cleared her throat, sitting up straight and serious: "Yar, you should understand why I brought you to the Chen family. But Ping'an is still young. Let's not talk about anything else. At least you should wait until he passes the imperial examination before considering anything with him. Once he becomes a successful candidate, you will be the wife of a successful candidate, and you will have face when you go out, won't you?"

Jiang Yar understood in her heart, her face blushing with embarrassment. She nodded repeatedly, only saying that she would make sure Ping'an studied well and showed filial piety to her mother-in-law. She didn't dare to think about anything else, and Mrs. Wu's heart finally settled down.

It's not easy to pass the imperial examination. There are top scholars every year, and successful candidates only pass the examination every three years. Not to mention the next level, the juren. It's not even something they dare to think about. That's why the only option was to open a private school in Chenjiawan.