The Daily Life of Farming and Raising Children in Ancient Mountain Residences

Chapter 219: Entrance Exam

The paper was made, and it seemed Shen Lie’s worries were settled. He resumed reading at night as he had before, suggesting that the exam was drawing near, and he no longer disturbed Sang Luo in the evenings.

At least, that’s how it seemed to Sang Luo.

She didn’t bother him, reading alongside him for a while. Since it was cold, she went to bed early to rest and gradually fell asleep, not even noticing when Shen Lie turned off the lights and went to bed.

On the morning of the third day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhao’s eldest son and fourth son came to work officially.

Sang Luo hadn’t chosen them herself. Over the past few days, Shen Jin had occasionally mentioned the Zhao family. They were all quite good, so Sang Luo had decided not to pick, just hiring two people and letting their family choose which two would come.

As it turned out, Zhao’s eldest and fourth sons were indeed the two Shen Jin had praised the most.

Zhao Dalang and Zhao Silang came early that morning to start work, and didn’t enter the house but spoke with Shen Lie outside.

Sang Luo, finishing up her own tasks, went out to greet them with a smile. “Good morning, Uncle Zhao and Uncle Zhao Silang. Will you be eating with us, or do you prefer that we give you monthly rations so you can cook for yourselves?”

Zhao Dalang replied, “We’ll cook for ourselves. Our village isn’t far from here. We’ve arranged it so that our children will bring us meals at mealtimes.”

“Alright, then come by when you head back today. I’ll give you this month’s rations.” Sang Luo offered a generous deal, preferring them to handle their own meals. She liked preparing food but didn’t enjoy cooking for a large group every day. Usually, she and Shen Ning cooked together, chatting and sharing the workload. If cooking became a task, it would definitely be unpleasant.

Zhao Dalang waved his hands repeatedly. “No need, no need. We have enough rations at home. We’ll collect them after we’ve worked for a month.”

Sang Luo didn’t mind, smiling. “That’s fine too, just let us know what’s convenient for you.”

The land was already cleared. Sang Luo’s first task for them was logging.

The two hills on the Shen family’s property were to be used to cut down the trees needed for various purposes. Clearing one hill would make room for planting yam, and the wood would be used for building a house, fixing up the yard, and making furniture. It was ideal to prepare it now.

Sang Luo planned to take Zhao Dalang and Zhao Silang to the family’s mountain to familiarize them with the area, but Shen Lie stopped her. “I’ll take Uncle Zhao and Uncle Zhao Silang to the site. Do you have a plan for which hill to plant the yams on?”

Sang Luo considered her plans for raising chickens and sheep, which shouldn’t be too far away. She said, “Choose the hill farther from the house.”

Though it was called far, it wasn’t really distant; the two hills were connected.

Shen Lie nodded and told Sang Luo to stay inside. He took an axe and a chopping knife to Zhao Dalang and Zhao Silang and led them to the site.

Sang Luo wasn’t idle either. She returned to the stove room to continue pounding the paper pulp that Shen Lie had already beaten into a fluffy state with the stone mortar. She pounded it a while, then tore the fibers by hand, and continued pounding, repeating the process.

After about a quarter of an hour, Shen Lie returned. He discussed with Sang Luo the approximate size of the backyard and the specific area to be marked.

Sang Luo wasn’t as urgent as Shen Lie. “Let’s wait until spring. It’s too cold now, and it might snow. Also, we need to know the layout of the front yard and the house before we enclose the backyard. There’s no rush for now. An Ning and I are still experimenting with the technique, working in small quantities. We’ll keep the stove room door locked for now.”

Everyone lived a bit distantly from each other. Except for the Xu family’s house, which was in good condition, every household lived in very simple accommodations with barely any space to spare. Visits were infrequent, mostly just the Shen brothers, and during busy farming seasons, meals were delivered to the fields. When not busy, the three of them cooked for themselves.

Hearing this, Shen Lie felt much more at ease and said, “That’s better. Only make a small amount for experiments. Don’t make too much. Paper is very scarce outside, and your paper looks different from what’s bought—it’s quite rough. Don’t reveal it just yet.”

Indeed, it was different—much rougher than usual.

Sang Luo finally understood what Shen Lie was worried about and smiled. “Is that why you’re anxious? Don’t worry, I’m saving on that. This is just luck; it’ll take more practice to make it good. Without the right techniques, we’ll only use it ourselves for now.”

Shen An also recalled that a few years ago, even selling a bit of sour jujube cake required renaming it as crystal fruit, and selling even a bit of jujube candy needed careful selection of partners. He added, “We should be cautious. The state schools are now set up, so we need to solve our paper problem. It’s best if we can buy it, but if not, we can always use bamboo slips.”

Bamboo is abundant in the mountains, so making bamboo slips at home is feasible. Since state schools are now recruiting, not everyone can afford paper.

The other two batches of paper pulp were processed and dried by the fire, and the products were seen that day. Even so, Sang Luo couldn’t help but reflect on how expensive paper must be. Even though she wasn’t spending on materials, the labor involved was considerable. The process was time-consuming and laborious, and with limited space, the final products were few.

She wondered if ancient people made paper in such small batches or had special large areas for drying. Of course, wealthy families with papermaking skills wouldn’t lack space.

However, thinking about the Song Dynasty in her own time, where paper had become quite common, she felt there must have been improvements in the techniques since then. It shouldn’t be a matter of just a few sheets at a time.

Not having formally learned papermaking, relying only on some key information and her own experiments with fabric and tofu, she was lucky to get some usable results. Beyond that, she couldn’t think of anything more for now.

She made sure to keep samples and records of the paper and then stopped for the time being.

In her spare time, she would visit the mountains, doing lighter tasks herself. Since the whole hill was to be used for planting yams, aside from logging, Zhao Dalang and Zhao Silang also gathered and bundled extra branches and shrubs, delivering them to the firewood shed outside the Shen house. Sang Luo sorted these branches, stripping the bark from the trees she thought might be useful for experiments, numbering and recording them, and then soaking them in the mountain stream.

Another task she and Shen Ning could handle was making compost.

Since settling in the valley, they had always made compost. After moving to Daxing Village, each family had their own arrangements, but traditionally, Shen Lie had always handled it, and when he wasn’t home, Shen An took over. Sang Luo and Shen Ning had never been involved.

Now, Sang Luo needed to make different kinds of fertilizers.

She collected fallen leaves from the trees for compost, made bone meal from animal bones treated with salt, and gathered eggshells to make eggshell powder. Ashes from plants were also collected separately.

These materials, through various processing methods, each had their own fertilizing effects. For farmers, nothing was too precious, and even a bit of waste was hard to come by.

In her spare moments, she wove a small test basket from bamboo strips for Shen Lie and Shen An. Inside, she placed only essential items: brush, ink, inkstone, a wooden paperweight, and a small bamboo tube for grinding ink with water.

Busy with these tasks, the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month arrived quickly. By then, a good amount of wood had been stacked in the open space behind the house, and the day for Shen Lie’s and Shen An’s entrance exams had come.

Sang Luo didn’t know about others, but Shen Lie and Shen An had been studying diligently. Shen An, being younger, had more opportunities and fared better, while Shen Lie often slept less than two and a half hours a night. The night before the exam, after Sang Luo stressed the importance of rest, he finally reduced his study time a bit.

Unlike the various imperial examinations in later times, the entrance exam for Daqi was very simple. Sang Luo had planned to prepare some food and water, but it turned out unnecessary.

When Shen Lie registered, he learned it was just one exam, and bringing writing tools was sufficient. Paper and food were not needed. They would enter in the morning and finish by noon.

Sang Luo and Shen Ning got up early to prepare breakfast. Living in the mountains, with limited ingredients, they could only make filling meals without soup. After the family had eaten and Shen Lie and Shen An were ready with their books, they sent them off.

Sang Luo had noticed Shen Lie’s recent stress and deliberately slowed her pace. She walked behind Shen An and Shen Ning, approached Shen Lie, took his hand, and said softly, “Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Just approach it calmly. Life can be lived in many ways. My intention in experimenting with these things was to make it easier for our family. Once it’s comparable to the paper outside, we won’t need to spend high prices. For now, don’t think too much about it.”

Shen Lie tightened his grip on Sang Luo’s hand, his eyes showing tenderness. “I understand.”

After a while, the Jin brothers came out to see them off. From a distance, they saw Old Lu, Old Lu’s wife, and Feng Liuniang, who was eight months pregnant, also coming to see off A Xu. Only then did they release their hands.

Outside the Xu family’s door, the Zhou and Xu families had already prepared. The Chen and Shi families, who had no one to refer to today, also came out to see them off. There were plenty of auspicious words spoken, and the Xu family’s door was bustling.

Worried about Shen Lie’s stress, Sang Luo stopped just outside the village gate and said, “I’ll only see you and Xiao An this far. Good luck with the exam.”

Shen Lie really wanted to hold her close or touch her hand again, but with so many people around, he could only tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, nod, and say, “Yes, it’s cold. You, An Ning, and the Jin brothers should head back inside soon.”

Sang Luo watched Shen Lie and the other nine leave, and only after they had gone far did she talk with the Lu, Zhou, and Xu families, who had come to see them off. Afterward, she led the younger members of her family back home.

The Shen brothers still had some work to do in the fields. Sang Luo fed the sheep and chickens, checked on the vegetable garden, and kept busy, though her thoughts were constantly with the two brothers who had already entered the city for the state school exam.

—

In the city of Shezhou, outside the state school, many examinees and their companions had gathered before noon.

At first, Shen Lie and Wei Qinghe were not clear about which were the examinees and which were the companions. It was only when the school’s principal came out to organize things that Shen Lie realized there were more than seventy candidates, including some with short beards and those over thirty. This made him sweat with nervousness.

Before the exam, in addition to regular training and important points about the exam, the school’s principal gave a speech. Apart from the candidates and their companions, many citizens who had come to observe the exam were also present, though they were standing at a distance.

A pair of master and servant, hidden under a roof eave, listened to the principal’s speech for a while before turning and leaving.

—

Zheng Family.

In the warm room where Old Master Zheng resided, the sound of a flute was melodious. Accompanied by the flute, a female voice sang Zheng Old Master’s favorite song.

Zheng Dalang, the eldest son of the Zheng family, entered the warm room and saw his father reclining in a chair, eyes closed, listening to the music, while two maidservants were massaging his hands and legs. He bowed and greeted, “Father.”

Old Master Zheng tapped his fingers on the armrest of the chair, and after a while, asked, “What is it?”

Zheng Dalang glanced at his father, seeing him still with closed eyes. He bent his body slightly and said cautiously, “The selection of the school principal has been made.”

Old Master Zheng didn’t show much reaction, but a careful observer could notice that the rhythm of his tapping slowed by a beat. His eyes finally opened, and he asked, “Oh, who was chosen?”

Zheng Dalang paused, gauging his father’s mood, and said, “It’s the old master of the Lin family.”

Old Master Zheng’s tapping stopped, and after a while, he snorted, uttering a derisive comment.

Zheng Dalang didn’t dare to respond and waved to dismiss the performers and maids. After they had left, he asked, “Father, what should we do now? Are we really going to be left out?”

“Left out, so what?” Old Master Zheng gave him a sidelong glance, his tone still calm. “Your great-grandfather faced many hardships to pursue education. He started studying poetry at nineteen, mastered the Analects and the Book of Changes by twenty-three, and after twelve years of effort, he achieved his goals and obtained an official position. It took seven generations of our Zheng family’s efforts to build the foundation we have today.”

“A mere official position?” He scoffed, “If positions could be handed out so lightly, what would our ancestors’ efforts amount to? Who will safeguard the interests of the aristocratic families? Even the last two emperors set up state schools, and look at what was accomplished?”

“But, are we really letting the Lin family take the lead? My son observed today that there are many Lin and Wang family members taking the exam.”

The Zheng family had always been the dominant force in Shezhou City. How could they allow the Lin and Wang families to surpass them? Zheng Dalang felt uneasy, thinking of their previous victories. He tentatively asked, “Do you think the capital’s candidate can withstand the pressure from Daqi? If they fail…”

“Afraid of being held accountable? Afraid of being suppressed by the Lin family?” Old Master Zheng snorted, “You’re worrying too early. Even issuing a decree requires using the back of discarded paper. How long do you think they can last? The equal land distribution system—just see how many people’s interests it has affected.”

The old man reflected on the losses Zheng family had suffered under his rule, his eyes growing cold. He toyed with a tea cup in his hand, took a sip, and then looked down with a sneer. “What if they destroy Chen Country? After three years without taxes, they will need to support so many troops. Let them get through these three years first before worrying.”

“If they can’t make it, there are still the Great Chu, Great Han, and Great Qin…”

So many aristocratic interests have been disturbed, and there are plenty who harbor resentment. Even though Daqi has now conquered most of Da Qian’s territory, why hasn’t the paper workshop resumed operations? Is it due to a lack of craftsmen? With the techniques and recipes in hand, can they really be short of craftsmen? Everyone is holding back their grievances, but right now, military power prevails.

Let’s see who will last longer.