TTLJDFL Chapter 42

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More than a month later, Mr. Song had gone through all the content of the Tongsheng Exam with Li Jin and Chen Xiran.

However, due to the rapid progress, Mr. Song was worried they might get things mixed up.

After all, just the Four Books alone contained nearly 50,000 characters. Chen Xiran was doing fine since he had previously studied under another scholar and had some foundation.

As for Li Jin, Mr. Song had watched him study over the years. In the past, Li Jin had always been at the bottom of the class. Mr. Song never expected him to still remember anything from before.

At first, Mr. Song only wanted Li Jin to experience the atmosphere of the Tongsheng Exam this time, planning for him to take the county exam in a few years.

Therefore, he initially had Li Jin copy and recite the texts as a test of his perseverance.

If Li Jin's performance the next day failed to meet his expectations, Mr. Song would persuade him to take things step by step, as one cannot eat hot tofu in a hurry.

After all, Li Jin was still young, and postponing the exam for a few years wouldn't be a big deal.

However, Li Jin persevered, step by step, from Sacred Edicts, to the Four Books, and then to the Five Classics, memorizing and writing them daily.

Of course, if that was all he could do, Mr. Song would merely praise him as hardworking and diligent.

But Li Jin didn’t just memorize; he could also deduce the meanings of the sentences on his own.

When Mr. Song handed him a book with annotations, he watched as Li Jin copied it while showing an expression of sudden realization. At that moment, Mr. Song himself felt a mix of emotions—envy, appreciation, and deep sentiment.

Mr. Song thought, If I had Li Jin’s talent back in the day, perhaps I could have competed for the top scholar position.

If Li Jin knew what Mr. Song was thinking, he would probably just give a bitter smile.

After all, he had the mind of someone nearing thirty, and in his past life, he had studied parts of the Analects, which gave him a head start.

However, it was undeniable that being able to memorize all the books in just over two months while performing just as well as Chen Xiran required both talent and effort.

As the Mid-Autumn Festival approached, Mr. Song said, "You’ve already memorized all the required texts. Next, I will teach you the format of the imperial examination essays."

"This might be an unfamiliar area for you, so I’ll teach it slowly."

"The imperial examination primarily tests Eight-Legged Essays (Baguwen). Do you know what Eight-Legged Essays are?"

"The Eight-Legged Essay consists of four sections: Opening, Amplification, Argumentation, and Conclusion. Each section is further divided into two subsections, making a total of eight parts."

"These essays not only require strict parallel structure and proper tonal patterns, but also demand rigorous logic and coherent argumentation."

Mr. Song looked at the two students and said, "I don’t expect you to master logical argumentation yet. For now, you should practice couplet writing to refine your understanding of tonal balance and parallelism."

Li Jin thought that Eight-Legged Essays were somewhat similar to regulated poetry, requiring strict parallel structures and smooth tonal transitions for readability.

Practicing couplets was indeed an excellent way to train for this.

Mr. Song continued, "Until September, you will start each morning by writing your daily recitation from memory and checking each other’s work. Then, you will practice couplet writing. Occasionally, I will come by to check your progress."

Both Li Jin and Chen Xiran responded in unison, "Yes, sir."

Clearly, Mr. Song was still worried they might get mixed up with so much material to memorize, so he gave them extra time to write and review everything again.

He reminded them sternly, "Although memorization is tedious, it is absolutely crucial."

"If you cannot recite fluently, you won’t be able to write a proper Eight-Legged Essay."

Then he added, "I remember during my first county exam, a fellow examinee wanted to quote a line from Shangshu: Qin Oath, which says ‘Mèimèi wǒ sī zhī (昧昧我思之, meaning 'I think deeply about it')."

"But he accidentally wrote it as ‘Mèimèi wǒ sī zhī (妹妹我思之, meaning 'I miss my little sister’)." [Note: This is a humorous homophonic error.]

To help them understand, Mr. Song even wrote down both phrases.

Li Jin nodded, indicating he understood.

Chen Xiran, however, looked confused—he had also misremembered the phrase as "妹妹我思之('I miss my little sister’)."

Mr. Song, having taught for years, immediately noticed his reaction.

With a knowing look, he asked, "Do you know how the county magistrate corrected this mistake?"

Chen Xiran hesitated before replying, "I suppose he circled the mistaken characters and wrote the correction beside them?"

Mr. Song shook his head, then picked up his brush and replicated the actual annotation from the county magistrate.

He circled the entire phrase and wrote in the margin: "Elder brother, you got it wrong." 

At this, Li Jin couldn’t help but chuckle to himself, realizing that even ancient scholars weren’t always so rigid.

Chen Xiran, on the other hand, turned completely red with embarrassment. He scratched his head and said, "Sir, I was mistaken. From today onward, I will write everything from memory daily and ensure I don’t make such errors in the county exam."

Mr. Song then had Li Jin recite and explain a passage from memory.

Li Jin answered fluently, earning Mr. Song’s approval. He nodded and said, "Tomorrow is Mid-Autumn Festival, but that doesn’t mean you get a holiday."

"Make sure to write your daily recitation tonight. Not a single day can be wasted."

Since Li Jin was more mature now, he didn’t mind the strict schedule.

As for Chen Xiran, he was still recovering from the shock of his mistake. He now feared that if he made similar errors in the county exam, even if his essays were well-written, he might lose his chance at ranking.

Li Jin understood this concern well.

After all, imperial exams were not like modern tests, where partial credit was given for correct answers.

In ancient times, even a small mistake could lead to disqualification.

And if a candidate accidentally wrote the emperor’s name, it wasn’t just disqualification—it could lead to imprisonment.

Thinking of this, Li Jin also reminded himself to always be careful and never make similar mistakes.

After Mr. Song left, Chen Xiran seemed completely deflated. He clearly despised this exam but had no choice—his family was counting on him to pass and bring honor to their name.

Li Jin patted him on the shoulder. “Such phrases from the Four Books and Five Classics aren’t that common. They’re easy to spot. Just pay a little more attention when reviewing, and you won’t have any problems.”

Chen Xiran nodded. “I understand now. Ah Jin, are you going to Xinglintang tomorrow?”

By now, it was already August. Doctor Wu had long since requested leave from the shopkeeper to accompany his scholar son to the provincial examination.

Li Jin’s ability to prescribe traditional medicine was now well-established. He could easily treat common colds. If there were cases he was uncertain about, he would send the patient to one of the other two medical clinics, ensuring that no one’s illness was delayed.

Li Jin had also extended his clinic hours at Xinglintang, from one hour to two.

With Doctor Wu gone, more people than ever came to see "Doctor Li." Those who had previously sought treatment from him recovered faster than others, and his reputation gradually spread.

Seeing that his clinic was not suffering from a lack of patients, the shopkeeper finally relaxed and came to fully trust Li Jin.

Li Jin told Chen Xiran, “I will be going to Xinglintang tomorrow, but I will be bringing my spouse along.”

Chen Xiran was shocked. “Your husband is coming with you? To visit the temple fair?”

“Naturally.”

Chen Xiran said, “I was hoping to go with you both, but my father asked me to accompany my mother tomorrow.”

“That’s a good arrangement,” Li Jin replied.

“Well, I won’t be able to play with you then.”

Li Jin expressed his regret, and then they parted ways.

He thought about how Xinglintang was divided into an inner hall and an outer hall. When the time came, he would be in the outer hall treating patients while Qin Muwen could rest in the inner hall.

Since it was the Mid-Autumn Festival, there would be a temple fair that evening.

Although the young man had fully recovered, he had been busy taking care of the baby and hadn’t had a chance to go out.

Li Jin thought to himself that Wenwen was still young, and with him being busy studying and providing for the family, he hadn’t had much time to spend with him.

Over the past few months, Qin Muwen’s world had been confined to their courtyard. He hadn’t even visited the vegetable garden near the river.

So a few days ago, Li Jin spoke with Li Zhuzi, asking if they could leave the baby at their house for one night while he took his husband to the temple fair for Mid-Autumn Festival.

Li Zhuzi’s family had three children, the youngest of whom was only a few months older than their baby, so taking care of him wouldn’t be difficult.

Li Zhuzi and his wife immediately agreed.

Since Li Jin started working at the clinic, he had occasionally helped them with their health. Li Zhuzi’s wife, who had been weak after giving birth to their third child, had gradually recovered thanks to his treatments.

So when Li Jin asked for a favor, they had no reason to refuse.

Li Jin knew this arrangement might seem irresponsible, but their household had no elders, and Qin Muwen had been taking care of the baby entirely on his own.

He had told himself many times that if this were modern times, a boy Qin Muwen’s age would be considered responsible just for washing his own socks. How could he be expected to do so much?

So, Li Jin wanted to take this chance to bring him out for some fun.

Li Jin also informed the shopkeeper that his husband would be staying in the inner hall of the clinic for the afternoon. The shopkeeper said, “Of course, I’ll ask my wife to make some red date porridge, so he doesn’t get bored.”

Li Jin quickly said, “How could I trouble you like that?”

The shopkeeper waved him off. “It’s rare for your husband to visit. Just let it be.”

Li Jin could only thank him in the end.

On the afternoon of the 14th of August, Li Jin returned home and watered the vegetable garden first.

His cucumbers had grown as long as a hand, looking fresh and plump. In about ten days, they would be ready to harvest.

During dinner, as he described them, Qin Muwen’s eyes sparkled, and his dimples deepened with a smile.

“I really want to eat them,” he said.

Li Jin suddenly fell silent. His mind had gone astray—obviously, the boy was talking about the cucumbers in the garden.

To change the subject, Li Jin said, “Tomorrow is Mid-Autumn Festival. There will be a temple fair in town. Have you ever been to one?”

Under Li Jin’s gaze, Qin Muwen slowly shook his head.

“I’ve heard my brothers talk about it before. In my family, only the brothers and the legitimate daughters were allowed to attend the temple fair and release lanterns.”

Li Jin asked, “Then what did you usually do for Mid-Autumn Festival?”

Qin Muwen replied, “I made mooncakes. Red bean paste, salted egg yolk, and… five-nut filling.”

Judging by his expression at the last one, he clearly didn’t like the five-nut filling.

Li Jin chuckled. “I don’t like five-nut filling either.”

Qin Muwen quickly and eagerly nodded in agreement. “Ah Jin, do you like egg yolk or red bean paste? I can make them for you tomorrow.”

Now that their home was well-stocked, he could easily prepare either.

Looking at the boy’s slightly plumper cheeks, Li Jin reached out and pinched them.

Soft—just like his personality. Gentle and obedient, making one’s heart ache.

Li Jin said, “Let’s put mooncakes aside for now and talk about something else.”

He paused, then asked seriously, “Qin Muwen, will you go to the temple fair with me tomorrow and release lanterns?”

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