It is said that thirty miles south of Chaoyi County in Tongzhou Prefecture, Shaanxi Province, there is a village with the surnames Zhao and Fang. The village is small, with only about twenty to thirty households, all of whom have been farmers for generations. In the grandfather's generation of the Zhao family, they surprisingly hired a teacher to educate their son, who eventually passed the imperial examination and became a Xiucai. The villagers, who had little knowledge, thought that passing the imperial examination was a great achievement and praised him, causing the Fang family to gradually fall behind. The Fang family became envious, and a few wealthy families chipped in and started a school, hiring a gentleman scholar from the city to teach the children. This scholar was named Wang Ren, who was old and no longer intended to take the examination again, so he settled in the countryside to teach. Over the years, he actually produced some pretty impressive students, some who could write couplets, some who could write poetry, and the star pupil, Fang Bikai, who was exceptionally talented and could write brilliant articles, which made the wealthy families especially fond of him. During the Double Ninth Festival in September, everyone agreed to continue hiring Mr. Wang next year. Wang Ren was naturally happy to see that he could continue teaching. Fang Bikai's father, seeing how talented his son was, decided to give the teacher an extra four guan of money each year starting from the next year. So that's what they did.
That year happened to be the year of the provincial examination, and the Zhao family sent their grandson to take the exam. After the exam, they all waited with bated breath for the results. One morning after the Double Ninth Festival, while everyone was still asleep, they suddenly heard the sound of horse bells, which woke everyone up. Opening the door, they saw a crowd heading west. They learned that the Zhao family head had passed the provincial examination!
Fang Bikai joined the crowd to see what was happening, and upon hearing the news, hurried to Zhao's house. He saw a group of people wearing red tasseled hats, busy putting up good news posters. Since his son started studying, Fang Bikai had also learned quite a few characters. He stared at the poster and read aloud, "Congratulations to Zhao Yinwen, the young master of the Zhao family, who passed the Shaanxi provincial exams and ranked forty-first. Bu Lianyuan brought the good news." He read it several times, pondering, when suddenly someone patted his shoulder and called out "in-law." Fang Bikai was startled, but upon closer look, it was Zhao Wen, his grandfather, Zhao Laotou. It turned out that Fang Bikai had long set his sights on the Zhao family's scholar, wanting to establish a relationship, and had betrothed his third daughter to Zhao Wen's brother, which is why Zhao Laotou called him in-law.
He quickly bowed deeply three times to Zhao Laotou. Zhao Laotou helped him up right away. Fang Bikai brushed off the dirt on his clothes and said, "Do you believe me now? I used to say that city folks know a good thing when they see it! Ten years ago, the gentry from Wang Village in the city came here to tend the graves and borrowed your house. After dinner, Old Man Wang had nothing to do, so he walked into the study and happened to see the students writing couplets. Old Man Wang was pleased and also came up with a line to match theirs: 'It's raining.' Guess what? Your young master blurted out, 'The sun is shining.' Old Man Wang nodded and said, 'It's raining' in two words, 'The sun is shining' in three words. It wasn't quite right, but it showed promise. Perhaps this child will have a future. Think about it, isn't it coming true?" Zhao Laotou said, "You're right! If you hadn't reminded me, I would have forgotten about it. It's already September, and at the end of the month, Old Man Wang will definitely come to tend the graves. In-law, you should bring your children over then and have Old Man Wang test them. Hopefully, your son will also have a promising future like my grandson." Fang Bikai was delighted to hear this and they had a good long chat before finally returning home.
It was already past noon, and the family had lunch ready, but he didn't eat. He paced back and forth in the study, muttering, “Congratulations to the Zhao family’s young master!” and “Bu Lianyuan passed the exam!” No one understood. It was Mr. Wang in the study, who had served as an official before and knew what was going on. As soon as he heard it, he understood: “Those are phrases from a good news announcement. What's got into him?” He thought for a moment and said, “I get it now. It must be that a child from the Zhao family passed the imperial examination, and the folks next door are green with envy, trying to cozy up to the powerful again.” He quickly added, “Old Third, get your father inside; don’t let him freeze out there.”
Old Three's dad, the chatty one, hurriedly helped the old man in as soon as he heard this. As soon as his dad entered the study, he kowtowed twenty-four times in front of the master! The master was shocked, quickly helped him up, and kept saying, "Pops, slow down, what's the story?" His dad just pointed at his chest, then at Old Three, and finally gave Wang Ren a bow. Wang Ren probably guessed a bit, pointed to Old Three, and asked, "Old man, is this for him?" His dad nodded. Wang Ren said, "No problem!" He pulled over a stool for his dad to sit down, and held Old Three's hand, saying, "Old Three, who is this for?" Old Three said, "I don't know." Wang Ren said, "It's for you!" Old Three asked, "For me, why?" Wang Ren said, "Your cousin Zhao aced the civil service exam, your dad's not feeling good about it." Old Three said, "That's his problem, what's it got to do with me?" Wang Ren said, "Although it doesn't directly concern you, your dad is still a bit anxious." Old Three said, "If he's anxious, that's his problem, what does it have to do with me?" Wang Ren said, "That's where you're wrong!" Old Three asked, "Where did I go wrong?" Wang Ren said, "Your dad has only you as a son, he wants you to study, of course he hopes that in the future you can also pass the civil service exam like your cousin Zhao and come back." Old Three asked, "What's the benefit of passing the civil service exam?" Wang Ren said, "If you pass, you can go on to become a Hanlin scholar – big bucks and prestige!" Old Three asked again, "What are the benefits exactly?" Wang Ren said, "Being a Hanlin means you're a big shot, raking in the cash, judging cases, and parading around town with all the bells and whistles!" You won't get any of that without studying and passing the exam!
Although Lao San was young, when he heard that "officials can make money," the idea appealed to him, and he remained silent for a long time. After a while, he suddenly asked, "Teacher, you are also a juren, why don't you take the imperial examination to become an official?" Fang Bikai listened to Wang Ren's words educating his son and felt happy inside; the lump in his throat loosened. Later, when he heard Wang Ren say that officials can make money, he spat out a mouthful of phlegm. Just as he spat out half of it, he heard Lao San refute Wang Ren, leaving Wang Ren dumbfounded. Fang Bikai swallowed back his phlegm, staring at Wang Ren with wide eyes, waiting for his response.
Wang Ren was stunned for a long time, his face a thundercloud, turning red and then white. Suddenly, he widened his eyes, blew on his beard, picked up a ruler, and scolded Lao San, "You rascal! I kindly taught you, but you dare to lecture me! Ask your father, did he invite me to discipline you or himself? It's improper for a student to discipline his master! I can't teach at this school anymore; I must resign!" Fang Bikai had never seen his teacher so angry before, knowing that it was his son's fault. He felt anxious, unable to spit out the phlegm in his belly or speak, frantic with worry, with foam at the corners of his mouth. Lao San was still muttering, "If it's really that good, then go take the imperial examination and become an official to show me; don't just mooch off us!" When Wang Ren heard this, he became even angrier and was about to hit him with the ruler. Lao San cried and made a scene, making things even worse. It wasn't until Lao San's uncle heard the commotion and rushed in, scolded Lao San, apologized to Wang Ren, and finally dragged Lao San away. So that's that.
Speaking of Old Zhao, he was overjoyed when his grandson passed the imperial examination. People from the examining board lived in his house in groups of three or five, enjoying feasts of fish and meat and opium provided by the Zhao family. Old Zhao handed over a list of relatives and friends to the exam guys, asking them to send out invitations. They were busy preparing for ancestral worship, hiring city chefs to prepare sacrificial offerings of pigs and sheep, and getting the ceremony sorted. Old Zhao was also busy picking a date to entertain guests, inviting all relatives and friends. He figured his grandson's success in the examination would allow him to meet more people of his age. He also had carpenters make six flagpoles: two in front of his house, two on the graves, and two in the ancestral hall. He had a plaque made, hoping to invite a renowned scholar to inscribe “The Filial Scholar's House.” Unable to find a suitable acquaintance in the city, he turned to Wang, a local gentry near the cemetery whom he had met a few times during the spring and autumn tomb-sweeping seasons, and sent him a generous gift to ask for his inscription. The inscription was completed overnight and hung in front of the house, looking pretty darn impressive. He also had a new set of cotton clothes made for his grandson to wear on the day of the banquet.
Old Zhao and his family were simple folks. They couldn't handle all this. Luckily, his father-in-law, Wang, stepped in to help. He also prepared a large red invitation card, stating: "Join us for a drink to celebrate my grandson's success!" Below it read: "Zhao Dali invites all the menfolk and grandson Wen to pay their respects." The red envelope contained a note with the name "Mr. Wang" in the center, followed by "Wang's place, near the Stone Archway." Everyone knew that they were inviting Wang. He also asked Wang to write a letter hoping he'd come to the party. Old Zhao added a note at the end, stating that his children would bring a donkey to the city on the first day and return on the second day, and that two rooms had been cleaned and prepared for his stay. The invitation was sent, and Wang agreed to attend. Old Zhao was tickled pink!
Time flew by, and the Zhao family was completely swamped and run ragged. Early on the morning of the third day of the lunar new year, Old Man Zhao got up, woke his wife and kids, and they all got washed and had breakfast. After everything was ready, they set off to the ancestral hall to honor their ancestors. Zhao Wen, the newly successful candidate in the imperial examinations, led the way, followed by his grandfather, father, uncles, and brothers—a whole posse.
When they arrived at the ancestral hall, several clan members came out to greet them. There was only one old man with a small, forked beard, smoking pipe tobacco, sitting there motionless. Zhao Wen recognized him as the clan leader and quickly greeted him. "Grandpa." The old man nodded, looked him up and down, asked him to sit down, and said, "Wow, you're practically family to the Emperor now! What virtues did our ancestors accumulate to allow you to enjoy such fortune? The elders say passing the imperial examinations is no walk in the park! Your ancestors were practically cheering you on from the afterlife! They even helped carry your exam basket—that thing weighed a ton! They say the exam results were decided in the afterlife, too! Those who pass the examination must also go to the underworld to see the list and thank the Jade Emperor, and they couldn't sleep for days! So, Grandpa, your ancestors have been waiting for this day—it wasn't easy, you know!"
Grandpa and grandson were chatting when suddenly there was a whole lot of yelling outside. It turned out that Zhao Wen's grandfather was soaked in sweat, stomping his feet and cursing the cook: "Why haven't they come yet? Those good-for-nothing sons of guns! Haven't seen hide nor hair of them all day. I'll report them to Wang Xiangshen and have them hauled off to jail!" As he spoke, he used his hat as a fan, his face turning red with anger. Just then, the cook came in with bowls and chopsticks, and everyone started to blame him. The cook said, "Holy cow! I walked thirty miles on an empty stomach, for nothin'! Haven't even made a penny, and now I'm going to be taken to the yamen! I've served so many big shots in the city, and I've never seen such a nouveau riche flaunting his power in front of me! Always bringing up Wang Xiangshen—he couldn't even shine Wang Xiangshen's shoes!" With that, he threw the spatula on the ground, "I quit! Let 'em throw me in jail!" Seeing the cook angry and unable to finish the dishes, delaying the ancestral worship, everyone became anxious. Thanks to Zhao Wen's uncle, they managed to calm the cook down, quickly finish the dishes, and set them on the altar.
Next, the clan elected a new head of the ceremony to lead the worship, with the clan leader as the accompanying worshipper, and everyone bowed together. Although there was a guy calling out the steps, they were all countryside folks who didn't understand the rules. Some bowed before kowtowing, while others kowtowed before bowing. The etiquette students let it slide. After the ancestral worship was completed, they returned home to a steady stream of visitors, most of them in straw sandals. People gave pretty good gifts; the biggest was a hundred wen, but there were plenty of smaller gifts too, from twenty or thirty wen on down.
The sun was almost down, and someone came to report that Mr. Wang, the local bigwig, had arrived. Old Man Zhao and his grandkids had been waiting ages. The wedding guests were starving, all waiting on Mr. Wang to start the feast. The minute word got out Mr. Wang had arrived, everyone went nuts. Before the sedan chair even reached the door, Zhao Wen's dad was already there, leading the sedan chair in. As Mr. Wang got off the sedan chair, the three Zhao generations bowed him in and seated him at the head of the table. The only other guests were Wang Xiaolian and Fang Bikai. Wang Xiaolian was Mr. Wang's younger cousin, so he called him "Uncle." Fang Bikai was invited by Old Man Zhao, who wanted Mr. Wang to test his son Zhao Wen's talent, so he was all dressed up, except for his plain cloth shoes. Mr. Wang settled in and called out, "Hey!" A servant boy with a red tassel hat answered, "Yes!" Mr. Wang asked, "Did you take care of our stuff?" Before the boy could answer, Old Man Zhao handed a red envelope to Mr. Wang, saying, "You shouldn't have! I can't accept this!" Mr. Wang refused to take it, but Old Man Zhao had no choice but to accept it and let his grandson thank Mr. Wang. After tea, they finally ate. Mr. Wang sat at the head of the table, with Wang Xiaolian and Fang Bikai on either side, and the Zhao family sat below. After a few rounds of drinks and dishes, Mr. Wang and Wang Xiaolian talked about this year's exams, saying that the essays in the exam must be very good, and also discussed the several scholars who passed the exam in the county, saying that their essays were well-written and predicted that they would succeed early on, which indeed came true, showing the high value of essays. Before they knew it, they were pretty drunk.
Now, this Wang Xiangshen, you see, is a real two-time Jinshi, and he has also served as a government inspector. Later, when he got older, he retired to his hometown and taught at the county school. Over dinner, only Wang Xiaolian could really talk to him; nobody else had much to say. Although Zhao Wen had just passed the imperial examination, he was still young, and Wang Xiangshen barely noticed him. His grandpa and Fang Bikai were even worse off, only pouring drinks and serving dishes – they couldn't get a word in.
Wang Xiangshen got excited and started talking incessantly. Suddenly, he loudly asked Wang Xiaolian, "Hey, kiddo, how long do you think this eight-legged essay can stay popular?" Wang Xiaolian was speechless, just stared, dumbfounded. He picked up a meatball but didn't eat it, just stared at Wang Xiangshen with wide eyes. Wang Xiangshen nodded and said, "Let me tell you something. Let's not talk about those famous literary giants; let's talk about our own Shaanxi province. Back then, every big shot started with Lu's eight-legged essays. Just Lu Runsheng alone has nurtured many talented individuals. Those officials in the past, who didn't study Lu's essays from a young age, wouldn't have achieved what they have today." He pointed to the Zhao family and said, "Take me, for example. I started writing articles at seventeen, learning from Shi Butong. Although Shi was just an old scholar who failed the imperial examination many times, he knew 'Renzaitang Wengao' inside and out. I still remember, he had me start by reading 'Zhiyi Yin Quan,' saying it was essential. Because I was such a slow learner, he only made me read half a page a day. He would cut out the article, paste it on the table with glue, and have me read it with my head down, but I still couldn't remember. I got the cane plenty of times and spent a lot of time on my knees before finally passing the imperial examination. Although I suffered a lot, it was worth it!" Wang Xiaolian added, "That just proves what they say: no pain, no gain. Just from what you said earlier, it's clear you have rich experience." Wang Xiangshen was delighted and patted Wang Xiaolian on the shoulder, saying, "Yeah, kiddo, you're pretty sharp! Although I'm not seeking an official position, and you don't want to be an official either, you teach in the countryside and I teach in the city. We're both carrying the torch for Lu, training up the next generation for the Emperor. This is of great significance. Nephew, don't underestimate yourself. It's up to us to keep things going, kiddo. We've got a big job ahead of us. Although Zhao has just passed the examination, he is also part of our literary lineage. In the future, it's our job to keep this going, to pass the torch. Keep up the good work, kid!" With that, he closed his eyes and kept nodding. Zhao Wen listened respectfully. His grandfather and Fang Bikai could understand some at first, knowing they were talking about articles, but later, Wang Xiangshen spoke in classical language and acted eccentric. They were too scared to laugh or speak.
Out of the blue, there was suddenly a commotion outside. Upon inquiry, it turned out to be Mr. Wang's second master, who was dissatisfied because Mr. Wang had only given him a couple of cents as a congratulatory gift, and Zhao Wen's father had only given him three copper coins for travel expenses. He thought it was too little and insisted on asking for more. Zhao Wen's father said, "Your master only gave you two cents, which is less than thirty copper coins. Three coppers is more than generous, considering what your master gave." The second master replied, "The fare is not enough. I ran such a long way; I gotta eat!" When Zhao Wen's father refused to let him eat, he went to the kitchen to snatch some noodles. The cook disagreed, and the two of them started arguing, which continued all the way to the main hall. Mr. Wang stood up and shouted, "You rascal!" Fortunately, Old Wang came out to talk him down, persuaded him, and took out two copper coins to buy him a bun, which finally resolved the situation. After sitting down, Mr. Wang was still angry and said, "When I go back, I must have him arrested and beaten to kill his arrogance!" Zhao's father, being soft-hearted, quickly pleaded, "Beating him will ruin his life! Please accumulate some virtue and just teach him a lesson when you go back." Mr. Wang remained silent. Fang Bikai suddenly remembered that Zhao's father wanted Mr. Wang to test his son, so he got up and went to find Zhao Laosan. After searching for a while, he finally found Zhao Laosan in the kitchen, gnawing on a greasy bone, then smeared his oily fingers all over his new clothes. His father was both angry at his son's incompetence and heartbroken over the clothes, and was so frustrated that his eyes were blazing. Suppressing his anger, he first gave his son a cloth to wipe his hands and said he would take him to see Mr. Wang. Zhao Laosan wouldn't listen, no matter how his father tried to persuade him. In the end, his father, unable to bear it, gave him a slap, and Zhao Laosan burst into tears. Everyone quickly intervened to calm the situation. His dad finally gave up, defeated.
Mr. Wang had a bit more to eat, then said his goodbyes. Mr. Zhao asked Wang Xiaolian to put in a good word with Mr. Wang: "My grandson is young and has never been out. If there's a spare steward at the Prince's palace, please recommend one to accompany my grandson to the capital next year to take the imperial exams." Mr. Wang agreed. They were seen off to their carriage and drove away. Find out what happens next time!
