Kays Translations

Chapter 273: Unfortunate Times

Candidates were searched one after another, from the dim pre-dawn to the rising of the red sun.

Such searches were not without effect. One candidate ahead of Zhu Ping’an was caught with a concealed cheat sheet during the inspection. His method of cheating involved his quilt, which was densely covered in tiny characters on the inside, blending seamlessly with the elegant black floral pattern of the fabric. It was unclear how many eight-legged essays he had copied down—each matching the examination themes. However, the inspection officer still managed to detect the deception.

At the moment of being caught, the examinee collapsed to the ground as if struck by lightning, trembling all over.

“Drag him out and send him to the Bingmasi for questioning. Put him in a cangue for a month and punish him according to the rules!”

The middle-aged supervising censor waved his hand sternly. Four soldiers stepped forward, hauled the collapsed examinee up, ignored his tearful pleas, and dragged him away.

After this candidate who tried to cheat was dealt with, Zhu Ping’an stepped forward for his inspection.

Naturally, Zhu Ping’an had no issues and passed the search smoothly, entering the examination compound.

However, the two soldiers in charge of inspecting him were somewhat disgruntled. When they later recalled the scene days afterward, they couldn’t help but take a deep breath, gazing at the sky with a profound look:

“We just remember that it was a very cold day, yet we were sweating.”

What actually happened that day was that they turned into human food processors. Zhu Ping’an had carried a large assortment of snacks: preserved fruits, dried meats, cooked food, and even a big bundle of hand-pulled noodles. The two soldiers had to use specialized food inspection tools to slice and check everything, cutting for so long that their hands were sore. The effort was so intense that even in the cold, they broke out in a sweat.

After passing the inspection, Zhu Ping’an entered the examination compound and searched for his assigned seat according to his exam tag.

Compared with the Jiangnan Gongyuan in Yingtian, the Shuntian Gongyuan was slightly smaller. Rows upon rows of simple booths stood tightly packed, more than a hundred rows with roughly a hundred booths to a row. They were numbered in order using characters from the Thousand Character Classic beginning with “Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, Yellow,” the origin of expressions such as “Heaven Number One.” Each little compartment was an examination booth, also called a haoshe or haofang, terminology not unlike the numbered cells of a jail.

Zhu Ping’an located his assigned booth according to his exam tag. Unfortunately, his luck was terrible this time—the location he was assigned to was known by all as the dreaded “stinking booth,” meaning it was right next to the toilet.

The capital’s booths differed slightly from those used for the provincial examination. Their dimensions were much the same—five feet long, four feet wide, and eight feet high—but the furnishings differed. This booth had a kang for sleeping. It was not especially spacious, but if one lay with one’s head inward, one could stretch out with only the legs perhaps reaching the edge. The kang also served as a seat while writing and was more comfortable than the booths at the Jiangnan Gongyuan. A long wooden plank on the kang served as both desk and dining table, and there was also a brazier and several candles.

This booth had no door. Zhu Ping’an walked in directly, unpacked his belongings, organized them, and then took out his pot, added water, sprinkled in seasonings, added noodles, meat chunks, and a few cabbage leaves.

Then, he used a portable stand to set up the pot and began boiling it with bubbling sounds.

Since Zhu Ping’an had risen at the chou hour and had not eaten or drunk anything since, and since the toilet beside his booth had not yet been used, he decided to cook something quickly. Once the latrine started seeing traffic, the booth would truly live up to the name “stinking booth.”

Bubbling… The little pot of noodles, meat, and cabbage simmered away, sending fragrant steam drifting through the air.

The invigilating soldier nearby was nearly at his breaking point. He had supervised exams for many years, but this was the first time he’d seen a candidate behave like this after being assigned to the stinking booth. He had never seen anyone start cooking immediately after entering!

Usually, examinees assigned to this booth would be retching and pale-faced, on the verge of collapse! But this candidate had barely warmed his seat before starting to cook—unbelievable. The proctor felt like his dog-eyes had been blinded.

Chief Examiner Xu Jie, accompanied by several Assistant Examiners, was making his customary inspection of the compound, partly to enforce discipline from the outset and partly to encourage the staff.

As Xu Jie and his group neared the stinking booth area, they suddenly heard a loud slurping sound.

At this, all their expressions changed.

This was the infamous stinking booth—why was there such a sound?! In the past, this area was filled with the mournful sounds of examinees; today’s strange noise was out of place.

The examination compound had nothing resembling modern sanitation. At the end of the alley between the booths stood a makeshift shed containing a bucket latrine. For three full days, nearby examinees would all relieve themselves there. The smell was overpowering, with flies buzzing around; merely being nearby was torment enough.

And the “stinking booth” was right next to this toilet—its direct neighbor.

Out of curiosity, Xu Jie and the others took a few more steps forward.

Then they saw a scene that shattered their worldview: a chubby teenage boy, about fifteen years old, was inside the booth holding a small iron pot and slurping down noodles with great gusto. He was eating with relish, sweat beading on his forehead from the effort.

Meanwhile, the supervising soldier nearby was deathly pale and visibly traumatized, as if scarred for life.

Seriously?! It’s already a miracle he isn’t crying from the stench—how can he be eating so heartily?

This stark contrast made the scene unforgettable for Xu Jie. He would remember this boy, who calmly and comfortably ate noodles in the stinking booth, like it was nothing.

To remain composed in such a foul place, eating and drinking as usual—
This was no ordinary person! Either a complete fool, or a rare genius!
Interesting. Very good. I, Xu Jie, will remember this person.

Zhu Ping’an was so focused on eating that by the time he noticed, Xu Jie and the examiners had already walked away.

Zhu Ping’an had risen at the chou hour and badly lacked sleep. After eating, he cleaned his utensils, put everything away, tidied the kang, spread a fur mat over it, lay down beneath a thick rabbit-fur blanket, and soon fell sound asleep.

Outside, the supervising soldier was speechless. Eating and then sleeping—in the stinking booth, and in broad daylight no less. He had never seen a candidate like this before.

When Xu Jie and the examiners made their return trip and passed by again, they immediately saw Zhu Ping’an sleeping deeply under his thick blanket, snoring loudly.

Assigned to the stinking booth and sleeping soundly after a meal—clearly, this candidate had given up on the exam.

Some of the examiners chuckled and shook their heads at the sight, their gazes toward Zhu Ping’an full of ridicule.

So he belongs to the first category after all. I misjudged him, Xu Jie thought, shaking his head slightly in disappointment.

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