The old saying goes that no one understands a child better than their father.
Tonight, Song Prefect sensed that something was off with Song Zhe. Originally, he should have brought Song Zhe back to the government office to keep an eye on him, but his wife disagreed. She believed that going with the flow was better than trying to restrain things in situations like these.
In her opinion, the only person who could help Song Zhe was Li Yao.
"Miss Li, thank you for helping to guide my foolish son."
"I just wonder if my arrangements are satisfactory to Prefect Song."
"Why wouldn't we be satisfied?" Song Prefect said. "We know better than anyone the extent of Song Zhe's capabilities. If he can get guidance and teaching from Miss Li, we would be endlessly grateful."
"Let's see how he does on the exam," Li Yao said. "If he really manages to pass and become a successful candidate, then of course he should continue his studies."
Song Prefect gave a bitter laugh. The chances of Song Zhe passing the county exam were even lower than a freak snowstorm hitting them this early autumn.
But the two had made arrangements for Song Zhe's future, so at least Prefect Song could worry a little less and devote more energy to government affairs.
"Miss Li," Song Prefect said, "Regarding collecting silver from the commoners to extensively repair roads, reservoirs, rivers and so on, when do you think we should start?"
Li Yao was slightly surprised. This idea was one she had given to Liu Yun, so Liu Yun must have told Prefect Song to carry it out. But she didn't expect that he would turn around and put it back on her head.
Just who was the Prefect here?
"It should be done as soon as possible," Li Yao said. "Why not after the county exam results are posted? Once we've collected the silver, the rainy season will be over too, so it'll be a good time to start work."
"That's what I was thinking too," Song Prefect said with a smile. "But for such a big undertaking, I'd feel uneasy not asking your opinion first."
Was he developing a dependence?
Li Yao felt it would be best to return to Riverbend Village sooner rather than later. Otherwise, if Liu Yun kept coming to see her, and then Prefect Song came too, would she ever get to enjoy her retirement?
...
The next day, before dawn had broken, Wang Er and Song Zhe were already up and spirited.
The family had been busy for a while now, preparing all the supplies they would need for the exam.
Writing brushes, ink sticks, ink stones, thin blankets, three days' worth of drinking water and rations, and chamber pots to use.
During the three days of the county exam, each examinee would be shut inside an individual small room. They had to eat, drink, defecate and sleep all within, and were not allowed to go out during the exam period.
In the past, family members had been allowed to bring meals and leave them outside the door for the guard staff to deliver inside. But that led to many people trying to sneak in cheating aids within the food.
So this year, that was strictly forbidden.
"Eat your fill at breakfast to give you energy during the exam. But don't eat too much or you'll get sleepy."
Du Xiao Hui placed a plate of boiled eggs on the table, along with a plate of steaming hot meat buns.
"Sister Xiao Hui," Song Zhe said with a laugh, "so should we eat our fill or not?"
"About seventy to eighty percent full." Du Xiao Hui was a bundle of nerves. "Oh right, I also simmered soup with seafood. Anna, quickly ladle out the soup!"
"Coming!"
By now, Anna and Alice were completely used to the household routine, following Du Xiao Hui in all the chores every day like two little ducklings.
As for the boy Wu Tong, since he was a little older and smarter, he had practically become Wang Er's pageboy.
Of course all this was temporary. After Li Yao returned, the three of them would resume their duties at the Yangming Academy instead of being maids in Li Yao's home.
Anna's slender arms held up a steaming hot bowl of soup and placed it on the table.
"What's in here?" Song Zhe asked curiously. "This smells familiar but I can't quite remember."
"It's chicken stewed with seaweed and dried cuttlefish," Du Xiao Hui said. "I heard that eating more seafood is good for the minds of scholars."
"Haha, Sister Xiao Hui, you actually believe that?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
"If what you said is true, shouldn't every scholar living by the sea be able to top the imperial exam?"
"Well... anyway, it's still good to eat more." Du Xiao Hui said as she picked up a ladle. "Let me serve you both."
The freshly scooped soup was scalding hot. She carefully stirred it with a small spoon to help it cool faster.
But as she stirred, she sensed something off.
"Why does this soup smell a bit strange?" Du Xiao Hui's brows furrowed slightly as she asked Anna, who had simmered the soup, "Did you add anything else?"
"No, I didn't add anything," Anna said nervously.
But Du Xiao Hui still felt uneasy. She tasted a tiny spoonful but quickly spit it back out.
"This taste really isn't right."
But she also wasn't completely certain, since she rarely ate seafood herself.
Now was a critical time, and with the soup smelling suspicious, they had to err on the side of caution. They absolutely could not take any risks!
She thought for a moment, then brought the soup to Li Yao.
"Auntie, you're worldly and experienced. Can you take a look and see if this soup has gone bad?"
Li Yao had eaten some seafood early in the morning, though it was just seaweed and dried cuttlefish, which helped curb her appetite a little.
But with just one sniff, she determined there was definitely something wrong with the soup. It had subtle bitter and sour notes.
If she wasn't mistaken, someone had added croton bean powder.
"Who simmered this soup?"
"It was me," Anna stepped forward nervously. "This morning after Sis Xiao Hui added the ingredients to the pot, I just kept it simmering over low heat."
"You simmered it very well, made it nice and fragrant too." Li Yao smiled. "But the chicken wasn't picked well, too fatty. It's best if Wang Er and Song Zhe don't eat anything too oily today."
"Then... should we let the maids drink it?"
"Xiaoya needs to nurse, she can't eat cuttlefish." Li Yao randomly fabricated. "Just leave it all for me, I'll drink it at lunch."
Although Li Yao loved tasty food, hogging it all to herself did seem to be a thing of the distant past.
But Du Xiao Hui understood that there must be an issue with the soup, and her mistress didn't want to point it out directly right now.
So she covered up the pot and personally brought it into the kitchen to set aside.
Li Yao also felt uneasy about the water and rations the two had packed. She asked Xiaoya to go into town right then to buy replacements. Even the drinking water was freshly drawn well water from the academy that had been boiled.
Her precautions made the two maids feel an inexplicable fear. After all, they were the ones who had helped prepare those items earlier.
Now that everything was being replaced, it showed the lady of the house had already grown suspicious of them. Once the two young masters left for their exam, they might be punished upon returning.
Just imagining it made them both want to cry.
Li Yao saw the expressions on their faces but didn't say much for the moment.
There was definitely someone sabotaging things in the household, but it was too early to jump to conclusions on exactly who.
After breakfast, the family took a carriage to the government office complex where the county exam was held every year. A large open space had already been cordoned off with tall wooden fences. Every dozen or so meters along the perimeter, a fully armed guard stood watch. Several more patrols continuously circled the area, and random passersby were strictly forbidden from approaching.
Sheds were erected within the enclosure for the exam proctors to rest.
There were also individual small sheds inside that looked like dove cages, each containing a desk and a thick stack of blank papers for the examinees.
