Hundreds upon thousands of students left the examination hall exhausted, yet Xu Mo staggered out at last.
His clothes were disheveled, his jacket looked as if it had been ripped, and even his hairpiece had come loose. Clutching a latticed bamboo basket, he gave his younger siblings a smile.
"Big brother," Jiang Sheng's eyes welled up with tears again. "Did you get bullied?"
She had seen it before, when a pretty older sister was mistreated by a pig-like customer at Yihong Brothel, and came out looking just like this afterward.
Could big brother have...
"I'm fine," Xu Mo's voice was still calm. "Let's go home first."
Once seated in the carriage, Fang Heng sat at the front while Xu Mo's other siblings surrounded him with worried expressions.
"I'm really alright," Xu Mo tidied his lapel. "Someone just suddenly rushed out and tried to snatch my exam paper like a madman. We struggled on the ground for a bit, and this was the result."
The examination hall was heavily guarded, exams taken seriously.
To prevent cheating, students' papers were sealed, names covered up. Behind the proctors were two bailiffs with swords.
But this meant nothing to ill-intentioned parties.
For instance, when the bailiffs hesitated for but a moment, Xu Mo's exam paper was utterly destroyed.
"It must have been the county magistrate and his wife," Zheng Ruqian said indignantly. "They've gone too far, not even sparing the exam hall. How despicable."
"Then didn't big brother take the exam for nothing?" Jiang Sheng's heart tightened again.
Xu Mo stroked her little head. "In a way, we should thank Xiao Wu for this."
That encounter at the exam hall entrance taught him to be prepared, so after finishing his exam early, he took the time to write out two copies. It reinforced his memory, and acted as insurance.
So when that man was taken away by the bailiffs and everyone bemoaned Xu Mo's misfortune, he leisurely took out another exam paper.
The proctor's eyes nearly popped out.
Xu Mo saw it happen. After turning in his paper, he didn't leave immediately, but watched the proctor collect dozens more papers until it was impossible to single his out. Only then did he relax and take his leave.
It was a narrow escape.
Jiang Sheng pulled Zheng Ruqian in relief.
But Fang Heng caught the crux of it. "The county exam lasts five days. You got lucky today, but what about the next four?"
Only a habitual thief is prepared for a thousand days - how could anyone guard against thieves for a thousand days?
Even if Xu Mo was vigilant, the same trick wouldn't work five more times.
Not to mention it would disrupt his focus during the exam.
Jiang Sheng's heart seized up again.
Xu Mo pondered silently before looking to their fifth brother, Chang Yan.
"The assailant was taken away. This means the exam hall still cares for propriety," Chang Yan tapped the back of his left hand with two fingers on his right. "Since they care for propriety, they'll naturally fear a big fuss. So we should make a big fuss and give them something to dread."
"Just in case, big brother should still leave himself an out tomorrow."
A sly grin spread across his face.
The Sluantang County magistrate was reputation-conscious, and wouldn't dare act overtly.
So they would help him make an utter fool of himself.
The next day, Xu Mo entered the exam hall.
The siblings slipped into the crowds, chatting animatedly about yesterday's disruptive incident at the hall.
Though it had been carefully hushed up, nothing could contain gossip. A couple people saw, a few others heard.
Relatives waiting idly at the entrance welcomed such juicy gossip, and were happy to jabber on till they got their fill, till they were satisfied.
Besides, thinking small, it was one person's misfortune, but thinking big, it could happen to anyone's child. If their own child's exam paper was ruined, the consequences would be unthinkable.
In no time at all, the entire exam hall entrance was discussing the matter.
By noon, the whole street was talking.
By evening, half the county knew that cheating had occurred at the exam hall yesterday.
At the carriage, Jiang Sheng looked perfectly innocent. "I only said someone tried to snatch the paper. I didn't say anything about cheating!"
No use doubting the listening skills of aunties and grannies.
Zheng Ruqian held back laughter. "The effect is what matters. Now everyone doubts the fairness of Sluantang County's exams."
With these doubts, the magistrate wouldn't dare try anything, for fear of destroying the people's trust in officials with yet another incident.
What's more, to dispel these rumors, he would have to punish the paper snatcher.
Which was like cutting off his own arm.
Jiang Sheng could just imagine how angry yet helpless the county magistrate couple must feel.
"Now we'll see how big brother fares today," Fang Heng frowned as he spoke.
Tomorrow, the day after, the day after that, the magistrate wouldn't dare make a peep.
But what about today?
The five siblings craned their necks toward the exam hall entrance.
Not long after the exam ended, the doors opened and a stream of students poured out.
This time Xu Mo emerged swiftly, stepping lightly with his bamboo basket in tow, smiling brightly at his siblings.
"Big brother," Jiang Sheng tugged his sleeve. "How did it go today?"
Xu Mo's smile faded.
Truthfully, not great.
The paper snatching trick didn't appear, but someone bumped him before entering the exam hall.
The man was civil, profusely apologizing, so Xu Mo thought nothing of it.
Once inside, he reflexively patted himself down, only to find a sheet of paper stuck to his back with rice paste, adhering firmly to his cotton jacket.
Xu Mo's heart sank. Unfolding it, he found meticulous exam notes scrawled all over, thorough and incriminating.
Cheating in exams was a major crime in the Great Yu Dynasty, resulting in not just a failed exam, but permanent disqualification from the imperial civil service exam.
It was tantamount to destroying a student's civil service aspirations.
Xu Mo's heart thudded wildly. He felt the paper was a burning coal wherever he placed it.
He thought to tuck it in his sleeve, but reconsidered - if they could plant it on him, they were likely watching his every move. One word from them and it could be found even if he hid it in his shoe.
Left with no choice, he decided to go all in.
Xu Mo crumpled the paper in both hands, then stuffed it in his mouth.
The proctor happened to walk by just then with sword-wielding bailiffs, looking askance at Xu Mo's bulging cheeks, commenting, "Got hungry as soon as you came in?"
Unable to reply, Xu Mo silently swallowed it down.
It was the first time he had tasted paper and ink.
Also the first time he truly understood how disgusting and infuriating it was to be targeted.
The moment they left the exam hall, Xu Mo swore to himself, "What I suffered today, I will return tenfold."
His siblings also clenched their fists, united against a common enemy.
The next few days went by peacefully.
On the fifth day, the exam ended early and the hall doors closed while the sun still hung in the sky.
Jiang Sheng rushed over to grab her brother's hand. "Let's go," she said solemnly.
Xu Mo nodded.
The siblings turned and headed toward the county government offices next door. With students still streaming out of the exam hall, Fang Heng hefted a great drum and beat it mightily in front of the "Injustice Drum" at the magistrate's entrance.
Accompanying the drum beats were Zheng Ruqian's mellifluous cries: "Cheating in the exam hall, papers snatched by force. We are aggrieved to our hearts' content, and hope My Lord will deliver justice!"
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