By the time the sun was high in the sky and the scorching sun hung overhead, the real test for the examinees had begun. On one hand, they had to rack their brains to answer questions; on the other, they endured the blazing heat, sweating profusely. If sweat happened to drip onto the exam paper, it could blur the writing, so they frantically wiped the sweat from their foreheads. Having finished his exam, William Carter was already preparing lunch—steamed buns again. Life was tough. William Carter sighed inwardly, never realizing that his peers were still suffering through their own ordeal.

After the exam, William Carter was awakened by the sound of the gong. Eating steamed buns inevitably made him sleepy, and when he was sleepy, he had to nap. By the time he woke up, it was almost dark. William Carter couldn’t help but admire himself. He quickly handed in his paper, left the exam hall, and met up with the The Carter Family family.

Old Great Uncle Carter didn’t look well. At his age, taking exams was pure torture; he was almost carried out by others. As soon as Thomas Carter and a few others saw William Carter, they immediately surrounded him. “Chunqiu, did you answer the questions?”

Normally, when someone leaves the exam hall, people ask how they did. But Thomas Carter’s question was a blow to one’s self-esteem: Did you answer the questions? Uh... Do I look like the kind of loser who would hand in a blank paper? I rushed here for the exam—would I really not answer anything?

Meanwhile, James Carter came out, and a crowd immediately surged toward him. James Carter smiled proudly and said, “I did fairly well, fairly well.”

People asked him about his essay opening. His face lit up even more as he replied, “One should not take office lightly in pursuit of learning, but only seek excellence.”

Many fell silent. That was a clever opening, extending the topic from learning to the pursuit of knowledge, instantly elevating the tone of the essay by several notches.

Someone said, “That’s a guaranteed pass. Not only for the children’s exam—even for the county exam, you wouldn’t fail.”

Many people sighed, wondering why they couldn’t be James Carter. Look at him, then look at themselves—how inferior they felt.

James Carter spotted William Carter in the corner. He seemed to have forgotten their past grievances and walked over with a smile. “Chunqiu, how did you do?”

William Carter knew he had done well this time, so he was full of pride, eager to compare himself to everyone else.

William Carter smiled and said, “Ah... me? I finished the questions early in the morning, then ate steamed buns and took a nap. I suppose I did pretty well.”

The county exam started at the hour of the rabbit, before dawn, but it was only about half an hour before sunrise. Most people needed at least half a day to write their essays. When James Carter heard that William Carter finished in just half an hour and still thought he did well, he couldn’t help but laugh. Everyone around laughed too. James Carter teased, “Chunqiu has inherited our uncle’s chivalrous spirit.”

That phrase, “chivalrous spirit,” wasn’t really praising William Carter’s father for being righteous—it was more like a subtle jab at being reckless and willful.

William Carter simply stared at James Carter’s face.

James Carter couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you looking at me?”

William Carter smiled, “Just admiring how handsome my elder brother is.”

James Carter touched his face—the bruises hadn’t faded yet, and he looked like a pig’s head. He glared fiercely at William Carter, cursing inwardly, “You brat, just wait until I pass the children’s exam—you’ll get what’s coming to you.”

William Carter couldn’t be bothered with him. The group returned to the inn. In a few days, the county would post the results. But since the The Carter Family lived close to the county seat and had someone designated to check the results on the day they were posted, there was no need for so many The Carter Family sons to stay in town, which would only worry the family. So after resting at the inn for a day, they headed home.

Chapter Thirteen: The Carter Family Produces the Top Scorer

“Father, I’m back.”

Returning from the county seat, William Carter was in high spirits. After all, the county wasn’t home, and seeing James Carter strutting around in front of him every day was truly annoying. And then there was that Thomas Carter—ever since he did poorly on the exam, he always looked resentful, which made William Carter feel uneasy.

Henry Carter had already come out of the side room. Seeing William Carter carrying his luggage, he couldn’t hide his joy, though he tried to keep a straight face. “How did you do?”

“Not bad.”

Henry Carter gave an “I understand” look and sighed. No one knows a son better than his father. When his son says “not bad,” it’s definitely not modesty—if anything, it’s more likely bragging. He squinted his eyes, showing a mysterious look only his son could understand, and patted William Carter’s head. “Keep working hard next time. The road ahead is long and arduous; you must seek knowledge tirelessly.”

No way to communicate...

William Carter shook his head inwardly. Am I really that weak?

...

Meanwhile, in the county seat, it was a different scene.

Speaking of the county exam, it was actually just the most basic level of the imperial examination, so the grading process wasn’t very formal. In fact, for the children’s exam, there was no need to conceal the candidates’ names.

Even so, the county’s Mr. Walker dared not be careless. At this moment, in the back office, Mr. Walker sat behind his desk, making the final decisions on the essays selected by the instructors and clerks.