Transmigrated as a Peasant Baby Who is Pampered by All

Chapter 458: Chapter 287: Exam

Initially, I thought the patrol consisted of ordinary government officials, but Jiang Yu quickly realized that wasn’t the case. These people were clearly soldiers, almost constantly pacing the corridor, determined not to give anyone the chance to cheat.

As the exam papers were handed out, a bucket of water was also delivered; the exam had officially begun.

The top-quality xuan paper was rolled into a cylinder and tied with a yellow silk ribbon.

To Jiang Yu’s surprise, the proctor handed him the scroll and actually said, ”Do well.”

Jiang Yu blinked. What did the proctor mean by that?

However, he quickly dismissed the matter and returned to his seat to begin the exam in earnest.

Approaching noon, Jiang Yu put down his pen. Under the gaze of the patrolling soldiers, he calmly washed a clay pot, lit a charcoal fire to boil water, first soaking some dried vegetables in hot water, and then brewing a large cup of tea.

Only then did he start washing rice to cook, making fragrant white rice!

Jiang Yu’s actions drew frequent glances from others in neighboring rooms; fortunately, he was by the door, so they weren’t looking at his exam paper.

Even so, they were reprimanded by the patrolling soldiers, told not to be nosy.

But Jiang Yu remained very calm. The room was already quite hot; even with the doors and windows open, allowing heat to escape, the exam hall was still packed and steamy.

Jiang Yu, unfazed, busied himself. With the rice cooking, he returned to reviewing his exam paper, and just as the scent of rice filled the air, he began to feel hungry.

Soon he served the rice, added a bit of oil, sautéed the soaked dried vegetables, then added water to make soup, also tearing a piece of jerky into it and cracking an egg.

Originally, the jerky was meant as a snack, but eating while writing an essay wasn’t ideal, so he simply tore it into strips for the soup, even cooking it with the rice.

As long as it filled his stomach, it was fine.

”You’re quite at ease. Aren’t you worried at all?” An elder’s vigorous voice came from the front.

Jiang Yu looked up to see an elder dressed in plain clothes, robust with a straight back.

The elder looked somewhat familiar, but Jiang Yu couldn’t recall where he had seen him—maybe just a fleeting glance on the street.

Beside the elder stood two young men dressed as warriors, presumably the elder’s guards.

Jiang Yu put down his bowl and chopsticks, stood up, and respectfully bowed as a junior, then straightened up and spoke frankly.

”Worry doesn’t always have to show on one’s face. Standing at the desk racking my brains is still doing the exam, but here, cooking while adjusting my thoughts is also doing the exam.”

The elder raised an eyebrow: ”Surveying the whole venue, among over five hundred candidates, you’re the only one cooking and eating at a time like this.”

Saying this, he glanced at the meal Jiang Yu had prepared for himself. I must say, it looked quite well done.

The rice, individually grainy and fragrant, was even better than the white rice he had eaten before!

In the vegetable and egg soup, there were fine strips of meat, the boiled greens returning to a vibrant green, the golden egg flowers, and the reddish-brown meat shreds.

If it weren’t for his dignity, he would have asked this young fellow to share some.

Perhaps the elder hid it too well, as Jiang Yu didn’t notice, instead smiling and shaking his head: ”Surely I’m not the only one.”

Just then, the rich aroma of rice wafted from another corner, accompanied by a shocked exclamation from a proctor.

”You’re cooking? During such an important exam, you’re actually cooking!”

Followed by a youthful voice: ”Proctor, sir, the student is ill. If I don’t eat properly, I might not last the full nine days.”

Suppressing laughter, Jiang Yu found it amusing how serious Liu Ze sounded while joking.

The elder observed his expression: ”You know him?”

Jiang Yu nodded: ”He’s my younger brother.”

The elder was surprised, beckoning his two guards: ”Let’s go have a look.”

After they left, Jiang Yu quietly breathed a sigh of relief and hurried to start eating.

Thinking was quite tiring, and it required focus.

Here, the two candidates showcasing their cooking skills in the exam hall elicited both envy and heartache from the examiners and scholars, and even the patrolling soldiers.

Elsewhere, after sending the children into the exam hall, the family returned to find three familiar carriages parked outside the shop.

”Oh, Yingying is here.”

This setup was exactly like the last time.

The shop assistant at the door spotted them and quickly shouted inside: ”Miss Yingying, they’re back.”