TTLJDFL Chapter 63

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Li Jin suppressed his shock and first picked up a standard history book, Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji) .

By now, he had adapted to reading vertically, from right to left .

As he read, Li Jin realized that this world shared many historical parallels with the ancient China of his past life—except for the addition of “Ger” (哥儿) as a recognized gender.

Although emperors' names differed, major historical events seemed to have unfolded in similar ways.

This realization relieved him.

While listening to the discussions around him about the rising importance of arithmetic, he picked up a geography book.

He learned that the capital in this era was also Yanjing , and his home, Hongyan Village , was located in the northern part of the empire.

Based on his past life's maps, it corresponded to the Shaanxi-Gansu region .

T/N: Shaanxi and Gansu are provinces in China, and the term "Shaan-Gan" is sometimes used to refer to both provinces.

Li Jin was quite satisfied with this location. After all, ancient transportation was underdeveloped—most roads were dirt paths, full of potholes and mud in rainy weather.

If he had been born in Shu (Sichuan) , it would have taken at least three months to travel to Yanjing.

T/N: Shu also known as Ancient Shu in historiography, was an ancient kingdom in what is now Sichuan Province.

But Shaanxi-Gansu consisted mostly of plains and was connected by the Wei River , making transportation relatively convenient.

After gathering the information he needed, he picked up a copy of Nine Chapters on Mathematical Art to study.

Only when his stomach began growing did he finally leave.

The bookshop owner had seen plenty of out-of-town students who read for free but never bought anything. He wasn't annoyed—he simply watched them walk away with an amused smile.

After all, in a few days, they'd have no choice but to come back and buy a math book.

At this moment, whoever is stingy and unwilling to buy will just have to wait to be eliminated.

Anyone with a discerning eye will definitely come to buy after careful consideration.

Li Jin returned to the inn, where Chen Xiran had already extended their stay for the three of them. Renting for the daytime only required ninety wen, saving as much as possible.

When Chen Xiran saw Li Jin, he immediately called for food and said, "I'm about to faint from hunger. A'Jin, did you gain anything from your trip?"

Li Jin looked at him and calmly said two words: "Arithmetic."

Chen Xiran nearly jumped out of his seat the next second. Lowering his voice, he said, "So they really might test arithmetic? I thought those people at the teahouse were just tricking me!"

Li Jin said, "Nearly half of the books on the imperial examinations at the bookstore were about arithmetic. It’s probably certain."

He paused for a moment and continued, "Before the curfew, we need to buy books. About ninety candidates registered today, and the registration period lasts five days. At least five hundred people will take the county exam.

The arithmetic books in our town are incomplete, and I’m worried that the ones in the county will sell out quickly."

Chen Xiran had no choice but to eat faster and follow Li Jin to buy books.

Now was not the time to gamble on the ten percent chance that arithmetic wouldn’t be tested.

When the bookstore owner saw the handsome young man return, he said, "Are you two here to buy books?"

Li Jin said, "Yes. Shopkeeper, which arithmetic books cover the widest range and are suitable for beginners?"

The shopkeeper replied, "Since you asked, I won’t deceive you."

He turned to the shelf and picked out three books. "These three are all introductory arithmetic books. This one was compiled under the initiative of our prefect. With the county exam approaching, mastering just one book will already be difficult.

Let me give you a little inside information—these books were prepared for me by the yamen’s legal clerks two days ago."

Two days ago…

That meant students in the county had also just recently learned about the arithmetic test. So, everyone was starting from the same point.

Hearing this, Li Jin didn’t hesitate any longer. He chose the book with the broadest coverage and the one compiled by the prefect. Each book cost three hundred wen, totaling six hundred wen.

After all, they had to show some respect to the prefect. The county magistrate might even use the prefect’s book as a reference when setting the exam questions.

Otherwise, why would this book be placed here?

Chen Xiran, on the other hand, had no such concerns and bought all three books at once.

Li Jin said, "You won’t even finish reading them."

Chen Xiran replied, "I’m just buying them for peace of mind!"

He even wanted to buy the last book for Li Jin, but Li Jin waved him off. "The content is largely the same."

For an introductory book, there was no need for too many copies.

Besides, as a medical student, Li Jin had studied advanced mathematics, linear algebra, and medical statistics for years—his foundation was solid.

Moreover, his teacher, Mr. Song, had previously covered these kinds of arithmetic exercises since arithmetic was a part of the imperial exams.

Unfortunately, Mr. Song had said, "Arithmetic hasn’t been tested for so many years. It probably won’t be on your exam either, so you just need to be familiar with it."

The hardest problem Mr. Song had taught was likely the "chickens and rabbits in the same cage" problem, though the wording was somewhat obscure and required rereading to avoid misinterpretation.

But Li Jin thought that if the county exam really included arithmetic, it would likely be related to practical applications.

The prefect’s book included examples of using basic arithmetic to solve everyday purchasing problems. If it involved the Ministry of Works or the Ministry of Revenue, the calculations would be even more complex.

At that point, it wouldn’t just be pure arithmetic—it would be "applied arithmetic."

The next day, Li Jin and Chen Xiran returned to the bookstore, and sure enough, people were frantically snatching up books.

The book compiled by the prefect had already sold out.

Huang Yiling ran in, sweating despite the winter cold. "We were only a day late in registering—how are the books already gone?"

Zhou Qi looked bitter. "Without that book, we won’t pass the exam."

Huang Yiling said, "No, no, we have to split up and ask every bookstore owner. If we have to, we’ll pay three taels of silver for a handwritten copy!"

Xu Zifan added, "Money isn’t the issue. The problem is that other candidates see us as competitors. Even if we offer more money, they might refuse to share."

"This arrangement is ridiculous! The registration period lasts five days, and we’re only on the second day. What about the people who register later? They won’t even know arithmetic is on the test!"

Hearing this, Zhou Qi and Xu Zifan both looked hopeless.

They knew arithmetic was being tested, but the prefect’s book was crucial. Without it, they might as well not know at all.

Watching a group of scholars rush in, ask questions, and leave hurriedly, Chen Xiran suddenly felt a wave of fear.

If Li Jin hadn’t brought him to buy books yesterday, they would be in the same desperate situation today.

Chen Xiran said, "A'Jin, you really think ahead."

Li Jin sighed and said, "We’re not here to watch the commotion. Some of these shelves with the Four Books and Five Classics have books recommended by the county magistrate or the prefect. There are too many books, and you won’t be able to read them all.

Use today to take note of the key points. When we get back, you can write them down and memorize them."

It wasn’t that Li Jin could predict the future.

Last night, after buying the prefect’s arithmetic book, he noticed a small seal on the back of the book.

Examining it closely under candlelight, he discovered it was the prefect’s official seal.

Yesterday, Li Jin had seen many books in the store with the same seal. That’s why he came up with this plan.

The annotations in each book had already been thoroughly explained by Mr. Song.

Now, reading these books with the official seal was essentially like "guessing the test questions."

So, Li Jin didn’t recommend that Chen Xiran buy more books.

As long as you thoroughly review the key points that are likely to appear on the exam, you should be fine. Just make sure you don’t make mistakes like "Meimei, Wo Si Zhi" (a reference to a misquote).

Chen Xiran had a good memory. Although he didn't want to study, he knew that Li Jin couldn't possibly remember everything on his own. So, he agreed to divide the workload with Li Jin.

A little while before the curfew, Li Jin and Chen Xiran finally walked out of the inner city.

They were leaving tomorrow, yet they hadn’t even strolled through the four main streets, the eight smaller streets, or the countless shops in the county town. Instead, they had spent the entire time in the bookshop.

Chen Xiran felt a little melancholy. Looking up at the bright moon, he sighed, "Exams are really exhausting."

Li Jin had spent the whole day studying as well and felt mentally drained. He wasn’t one to offer words of encouragement, so he simply walked quietly under the moonlight.

Suddenly, Chen Xiran changed the subject. "I hear someone singing."

Li Jin remained silent. Was he really thinking about visiting a brothel at this hour?

Li Jin said, "We have to travel all day tomorrow. Let's just rest well tonight."

In the end, Chen Xiran was only joking. He knew what was more important, and with someone as disciplined as Li Jin by his side, he wouldn’t push his luck.

Back at the inn, Li Jin took a bath. Meanwhile, because Li Jin had stopped him from going to the brothel earlier, Chen Xiran originally planned to just go to bed without bathing.

The coachman, who had been serving the Chen family for years and had watched Chen Xiran grow up, was used to his young master’s habits. He didn’t even prepare foot-washing water for him.

After taking off his shoes, Chen Xiran hesitated. Worried that Li Jin would dislike him if he took off his shoes in the carriage tomorrow to warm his feet, he obediently went downstairs to bathe.

Li Jin also took a bath, though he wasn’t worried about the exam. He had done his best—now it was up to fate.

Instead, his mind was occupied with saving money. Someday, he wanted to buy a wooden bathtub for himself.

But his house was too small, which was a problem. Lately, he had stopped thinking about buying a house—it was just too expensive.

He had previously saved up eleven taels of silver. Over the past three months, he had spent one tael on household necessities like rice, oil, salt, writing materials, and the occasional snack.

This county exam alone, including registration fees, travel, and books, had cost him another tael.

The next exam was in a month. If it consisted of five rounds over five days, he would have to arrive a day early. That meant he would need at least two more taels.

He was still far from the thirty taels needed to buy a house.

When it came to making money, Li Jin thought living in the county town would be more convenient.

He could copy books for the bookshop. Each book sold for 300 wen, and they paid scribes 120 wen per copy.

Books in this era were thin, so Li Jin could finish copying one in a day.

But there was a very practical problem—the houses in the county town were even more expensive.

Li Jin never expected that one day, he would be worrying about buying a house.

The next morning, after washing up, Li Jin practiced calligraphy and recited texts. Meanwhile, Chen Xiran was still asleep.

It seemed that spending an entire day at the bookshop had been a serious blow to him.

Li Jin decided to go out for breakfast but ran into the coachman on his way.

He asked, "Master, what time are we leaving today?"

"We can leave a bit later. The snow has melted, and the roads are easier to travel. We’ll check out at si hour (9–11 AM) and depart then."

Li Jin said, "Then I’ll go for a walk in the inner city and be back before si hour."

"That’s fine."

He didn’t have anything specific in mind to buy—he just wanted to pick up some trinkets for the young boy and the little bun at home. He wondered if that tiny baby, who always laughed whenever his father spoke to him, had missed him.

But Li Jin himself had already started missing them.

Since he had to wait until si hour anyway, he figured he might as well find a nice little gift for his two little ones.

T/N: Thank you for reading 🌰🌰🌰