Chapter 187: Chapter 175: Fainting in the Exam Hall (First Update)
When Song Fang arrived at the small courtyard in the alley, she found Yuanbao rinsing rice in the kitchen.
She stood at the kitchen door, stunned for a moment, and asked, "Yuanbao, what are you doing?"
Holding a rice sieve, Yuanbao turned toward the voice and called, "Little Aunt."
Song Fang strode in, snatched the rice sieve from his hands, and muttered, "You’re just a kid, what are you doing cooking? Go rest inside, your little aunt will cook for you."
Saying this, she placed the rice sieve on the stove and casually took an apron hanging on the wall to put it on.
Yuanbao didn’t hurry to leave and asked her, "Isn’t Little Aunt staying at Hongwen Academy anymore?"
Song Fang looked at her elder nephew and smiled gently, "I told the teacher, before your father finishes his exams, I’ll come back every day to cook for you all."
Yuanbao asked again, "Won’t that delay Little Aunt’s studies?"
"No, it won’t."
After saying this, Song Fang put the rinsed rice into the pot, added water, and covered it with a lid.
Yuanbao went to the study to tell Song Wei that Little Aunt had returned.
Song Wei paused in his writing but didn’t say anything, just nodded slightly.
Xie Zheng, having just arrived in the Capital and feeling a bit uneasy, slept the entire afternoon. Yuanbao called him up for dinner.
After a brief wash, Xie Zheng came to the main room.
Song Wei noticed that he still seemed unwell and said with concern, "Maybe you should see a doctor tomorrow. The spring exams are soon, you can’t afford to have any health issues."
Xie Zheng looked a bit ashamed. He did feel unwell but was embarrassed to bother Song Wei, figuring he could endure it and maybe feel better after some sleep. However, the discomfort only worsened, and he had to put down his chopsticks after just a few bites, sweat beading on his forehead.
Seeing that something was wrong, Song Wei, who had lost his appetite, got up to assist Xie Zheng, "Let me first take you back to your room, then I’ll call for a doctor."
Xie Zheng looked at him with gratitude.
Song Fang left her meal untouched and followed them out of the room, telling Song Wei to stay behind as she’d go for the doctor.
Yuanbao glanced at the nearly untouched dishes on the table and quietly started cleaning up.
Outside the alley, there was a clinic, and the old doctor Song Fang called arrived promptly and took Xie Zheng’s pulse.
Having just arrived in the Capital, Xie Zheng was unaccustomed to the environment, showing signs of abdominal pain and diarrhea.
The doctor prescribed some medicine, Song Wei went to get it, and Song Fang washed out the ceramic pot to brew the medicine, soon getting it simmering.
After quite some commotion, by the time Xie Zheng drank the medicine, it was already getting dark.
Thinking that no more guests would be visiting that evening, Song Fang planned to close up the courtyard early and return inside to chat with Yuanbao.
Just as she bolted the door and turned around, the sound of a copper ring lightly knocking came from outside.
Song Fang hesitated for a moment, turned back, and asked over the courtyard wall, "Who is it?"
No one outside responded.
Song Fang assumed they had left and planned to ignore it.
Just as she took a couple of steps, a voice spoke up, "Song, it’s me, open the door quickly."
Hearing this voice, Song Fang naturally thought of earlier in the day when in the carriage he had taken her off guard and kissed her on the cheek...
Even now, that spot seemed to carry an annoying presence, despite her having washed her face carefully while cooking.
The sound of the copper ring tapping on the door continued, and the person outside softened their tone slightly, "I’m here to apologize."
Song Fang pressed her lips together but remained motionless.
Xu Shu, knowing she hadn’t left, continued to plead, "Don’t you still want that piece of Hui Ink?"
Song Fang’s heart was moved. A few days ago, while shopping with her maid, she had seen a piece of Hui Ink that she liked immensely. However, it was too expensive, and she’d had no money on her at that time, nor did she feel comfortable spending the General Mansion’s silver. She could only quietly remember it in her heart, thinking she would buy it when she had the means.
"I was wrong; I shouldn’t have been forward with you. I’m here to apologize. Could you be magnanimous and not hold it against me, please?"
His apology sounded sincere enough, and thinking of the ink she couldn’t forget, Song Fang eventually wavered and took a few steps forward to open the door.
Outside, Xu Shu was shivering from the cold. After handing her a beautifully wrapped gift box, he kept rubbing his hands, "Letting me wait outside for so long at night, that’s not very kind of you."
Song Fang ignored him, lowering her gaze to look at the item in her hand.
Xu Shu, worried she might not believe him, quickly explained, "It’s genuine Hui Ink, fresh stock. The piece you liked last time is already sold."
"Thank you." Song Fang stiffly uttered these two words, reaching out to close the door.
Xu Shu held both doors with his hands, preventing her from shutting him out, "You’re not mad at me anymore, are you?"
In response to him, there was a heavy bang, and the lacquered wooden door was already closed.
Xu Shu withdrew his hand that was almost caught, shrugged, "Well, it didn’t work this time, I’ll try again, I don’t believe you have a heart of stone."
Not affected by Song Fang’s "unapproachable" attitude, Xu Shu turned around, whistling as he got on the carriage and went home.
Xie Zheng went to bed, and Song Wei came out of his room.
The courtyard was just palm-sized. With the commotion earlier, Song Wei heard some of it inside. Seeing Song Fang holding something, he didn’t ask what happened, just advised, "You have to go to Hongwen Academy early tomorrow, don’t stay up too late, go to bed early."
Song Fang nodded, replied softly, and returned to her room.
Reaching out to untie the ribbon on the gift box, inside indeed lay a piece of Hui Ink.
Under the Hui Ink, pressed a note. Song Fang picked it up and saw it was Xu Shu’s handwriting, which read: "To err is human, to forgive, divine."
A seriously formal tone, if not for the handwriting, these eight words would have nothing to do with Xu Shu.
Song Fang felt irritated, wanted to crumple it into a ball and throw it away, but after creasing a corner, she hesitated, stopped her action, took the vase on the table, and pressed the note underneath. Afterward, she washed up briefly, turned off the light to rest, and got up early the next morning to go to Hongwen Academy.
Afraid that there would be too many eyes at the entrance of Hongwen Academy, Xu Shu specifically stayed a bit further away, choosing a path that Song Fang had to pass, holding a box of pastries from Eight Treasures Building, waiting early.
When Song Fang saw him from a distance, it was too late to avoid him, so she could only pretend not to see, lowered her head and continued walking forward.
In her line of sight, suddenly appeared a pair of men’s boots with silver cloud patterns.
Song Fang stopped, raised her eyes, meeting Xu Shu’s gaze, "What do you want again?"
Xu Shu handed her the box in his hands, "You’re up so early, you haven’t had breakfast, right? These are the best pastries from Eight Treasures Building, I specially bought them for you."
Saying this, he rubbed his nose, red from the cold, following up with a sneeze.
Song Fang knew of Eight Treasures Building, that place was the busiest early in the morning, you had to queue up before dawn to buy anything.
Seeing Song Fang unmoved, Xu Shu stepped forward to grab her hand and handed over the box, "What do I have to do to make you calm down, give me a hint, otherwise I’m just busy every day and you still don’t smile, isn’t this all for nothing?"
Song Fang didn’t take it, returned the pastries to Xu Shu, sidestepped him, she was rushing for time, if she continued delaying, she’d be late for class.
Xu Shu, however, was not willing to give up, grabbing her slender wrist.
Song Fang’s expression changed dramatically, quickly looked around, confirmed that due to the early hour there were only a few people on the street and no one saw this scene, slightly relaxed, withdrew her hand, staring directly at him, "What’s gotten into you?"
Xu Shu said, "Whenever you’re not angry, that’s when I’ll stop pestering you."
"Rogue!"
"Say what you like." Xu Shu was nonchalant, "Anyway, coaxing you into a good mood is currently my top priority."
Song Fang was afraid he would truly cling to her in the street, so she reached out to take the box, warning him, "Don’t follow me anymore, or I’ll shout harassment!"
Xu Shu raised an eyebrow, watching her walk away.
——
They invited a doctor, and after drinking herbal medicine, Xie Zheng’s health gradually improved, and the date of the provincial exam approached day by day.
But it was at this time that Song Wei suddenly fell ill with a sudden high fever catching everyone off guard.
Song Fang invited as many doctors as she could, and administered a number of herbal medicines, but he showed no signs of improvement.
The Princess Mansion got wind of this, and since the Medical Officer couldn’t step in, the Eldest Princess sent someone to invite Doctor Li, who had treated Wen Wan’s throat before, asking him to ensure Song Wei recovered before the provincial exam.
In a room with curling incense smoke, the Eldest Princess supported her head, her brow slightly furrowed.
Lu Xingzhou consoled her, "Doctor Li is skilled, with his intervention, Song Wei will recover."
"You don’t know him." The Eldest Princess appeared more worried, "Third Son has been beset by bad luck since childhood. While I was in Ningzhou, he couldn’t pass a county exam in five years. He wouldn’t dare step out the front door on normal days, because as soon as he did, something unlucky was bound to happen. This sudden fever is likely linked to his misfortune, otherwise, it wouldn’t be so severe, with all the herbal medicines he took showing no effect."
It was the first time Lu Xingzhou heard of Song Wei’s peculiar experiences, and he couldn’t help but feel surprised, but still tried to reassure the Eldest Princess, "He managed to pull through previous exams, this time there shouldn’t be any major issue either."
To this, the Eldest Princess could only sigh, "I hope he truly can get through it."
——
The prescription given by Doctor Li didn’t have much effect either, Song Wei remained ill until the day of the provincial exam on March 8.
Xie Zheng was quite worried, advising him before entering, that if he couldn’t hold up, he shouldn’t force it. After all, he could wait another three years, his health was more important.
Even though he was already stumbling from the fever, Song Wei insisted on going in. At his age, he couldn’t afford to wait for one three-year period after another, accustomed to mishaps happening before each exam, he knew this fever would persist unless he gave up the exam.
But before coming to Beijing, he promised Wanwan, the provincial exam was just ahead, he didn’t want to miss or disappoint the trust of the person by his side.
He entered on the 8th, and early on the 9th, before the exam papers were even distributed to Song Wei’s examination cell, he blacked out and fainted.