TTLJDFL Chapter 65

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After finishing the math explanations, Li Jin and Chen Xiran bid farewell to Mr. Song and prepared to head home.

As Li Jin walked through the main street, he suddenly paused and looked toward the teahouse.

It wasn’t that he was overly cautious—he had simply lived in the town long enough to be familiar with its atmosphere. Any small change would be easy to notice.

Sure enough, in the front row of the teahouse’s main hall sat two unfamiliar faces. Though they wore simple cotton clothes, their aura of strength and seriousness was impossible to hide.

By the time they noticed him, Li Jin had already averted his gaze and continued walking toward the village.

He didn’t take them for bandits. Instead, they seemed more like... government officers on a case.

But Li Jin didn’t dwell on it. Sometimes, knowing too much wasn’t a good thing.

When he arrived home, Qin Muwen was feeding their little bun. After setting down his back basket and washing his hands, Li Jin walked over.

“The little bun is teething.”

Qin Muwen smiled at this. The baby was now seven months old, and a tiny tooth had begun to emerge from his once-smooth gums.

“Exactly. Now when I try to feed him, he bites the spoon with his teeth.”

His tone was filled with affection.

Qin Muwen hesitated before saying, “Xiao An is expecting now too. In the village, I’m the only ger who’s given birth, so he wants me to keep him company more often. Is that alright, A Jin?”

Li Jin replied, “Of course. Just make sure to dress warmly when you go out.”

Qin Muwen nodded.

Li Jin watched as the young man expertly fed and soothed the little bun. With his youthful face, he didn’t look like a father caring for his child—he looked more like an older brother cradling his younger sibling.

Li Jin thought about how much the young man had given up for him—bearing and raising a child, cooking, washing clothes. Now, even when he wanted to visit a friend, he sought Li Jin’s approval first.

By this measure, their relationship wasn’t truly equal at all.

Li Jin took the baby from his arms and started chatting about some interesting happenings in town.

He talked about the scramble to buy books and the travel journals he had come across at the bookstore.

Qin Muwen couldn’t help much with his studies, but they were going to spend their lives together. Li Jin wanted to share his world with him.

Qin Muwen’s eyes widened in surprise.

He had never expected Li Jin to talk to him about such things. His excitement was unmistakable.

“I used to love reading these kinds of historical anecdotes and travel journals,” Qin Muwen admitted. “But my father wouldn’t let me read too much of them.

“The travel journal you mentioned—I’ve read it before! The author said he was heading to Shu, but barely into the journey, he fell into a huge pit...”

As Qin Muwen recounted the story, Li Jin listened attentively.

Back at the bookstore, he had only skimmed the book due to time constraints. He had found it interesting and educational, making a mental note to read it properly after the county exam.

To his surprise, Qin Muwen could recount the details vividly.

Midway through, Li Jin handed him a cup of honey water and said, “Drink some water and keep going.”

_

The next morning, Li Jin and Chen Xiran set out early for the inner city to find an inn close to the county office, making it easier for them to reach the exam venue the next day.

With at least five hundred candidates taking the county examination, many inns were already fully booked when they arrived.

Fortunately, a few still had vacant rooms.

“We only have one room left, but it’s a suite with an inner and outer chamber. If you two don’t mind, you can make do with it,” the innkeeper suggested.

Li Jin and Chen Xiran decided to stay there. Given the early start required for the exam, staying closer was the best option.

Meanwhile, their servant and the carriage driver lodged in an inn in the outer city.

That night, as Li Jin lay in bed, he worried about having to wake up before dawn for the contraband inspection. What if he overslept?

Chen Xiran had the same concern, but staying up all night was not a viable option.

After some discussion, they gave the inn’s servant a small fee to wake them up in the morning.

Before dawn the next day, Li Jin opened his eyes. As he dressed, he heard sounds from the inner chamber—Chen Xiran was awake too.

“If my mother knew I woke up before sunrise on my own, she’d be very moved,” Chen Xiran remarked.

When the servant arrived, both guests were already washed and dressed, so he simply went to the kitchen to prepare porridge and side dishes.

Li Jin stepped outside, inhaling the earthy scent of the early morning air. He checked his examination credentials, brushes, and ink one last time, placed them in a bamboo basket, and headed downstairs.

After breakfast, they walked just two hundred meters to reach the county office.

The north gate, also called the “Dragon Gate,” served as the main entrance. A large canopy had been set up at the gate, with officers stationed on both sides. Only one person could pass through at a time, and each candidate had to undergo a body search before entering.

A public notice had been issued earlier, stating that examinees were only allowed to wear a thin padded jacket; violators would not be permitted inside.

This rule made it easier to check for hidden cheats.

_

Author’s Note:

Writing about Li Jin’s pre-exam preparation reminds me of a genius from my high school class. Before exams, she never crammed or reviewed textbooks. Every time I asked her a question, she’d be reading something like The Complete Works of Lu Xun. Yet, she consistently ranked in the top ten and eventually got into Tsinghua University’s computer science department.

T/N: Thank you for reading🍊🍊🍊