The other candidate’s meat patty was also broken into pieces. Crumbs of meat fell from it, scattering over his clothes, his shoes, and the floor.

The candidate’s hands were completely covered in grease.

How could someone so messy guarantee their exam paper wouldn’t be soiled? If the paper got stained, the entire exam would be for nothing.

But that was someone else’s problem, and none of Zhao Jing’s business. Zhao Jing merely glanced over before washing his hands, sitting back down, and continuing to work on his exam.

As evening approached, Zhao Jing carefully reviewed his exam paper twice. Once he was certain everything was in order, he pulled the small bell at his side.

A moment later, two constables arrived. In front of Zhao Jing, they sealed the section with his name on it and placed the exam paper into a special strongbox before leaving. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

The commotion from Zhao Jing’s side must have put pressure on the top scholar from Guyuan County. Zhao Jing could clearly see the man’s writing speed up, his brush strokes becoming as swift as lightning.

Just in the nick of time, the top scholar from Guyuan County finished transcribing all the answers and submitted his paper right before the sky turned completely dark.

The examination period was now over. All the papers had been collected, and the candidates were permitted to light candles for illumination.

As Zhao Jing was lighting his candle, he caught a fleeting glint of something shiny not far away. He turned his head reflexively and saw the top scholar from Guyuan County raising an arm to wipe the cold sweat from his cheek with his sleeve.

Noticing his gaze, the man shot him a vicious glare. Then, as if belatedly remembering his situation, he seemed to realize the man in the next cell was neither his personal servant nor some street peddler he could abuse at will. He quickly forced an ugly smile.

But Zhao Jing didn’t even see the smile. He calmly looked away, picked up his clean pot and bowl, and prepared to cook a proper meal.

He heated the oil. The shredded pork, which he had kept for a day, went into the pot to be stir-fried with seasonings. Once the meat changed color, he added hot water, peeled two eggs he had boiled that morning, and then dropped in the fried noodle cakes.

When the noodles were cooked to a firm, chewy texture, he tossed in a handful of prepared green vegetables. A unique bowl of shredded pork and egg noodles was now ready.

As Zhao Jing ate his hot noodle soup, a loud RUMBLE came from his neighbor’s stomach.

Although the rules now allowed candidates to walk around their cells and talk to themselves, conversing with others or passing items between cells was still forbidden. So, even if the man had the gall to beg for a bowl of noodles, it was a request doomed to fail.

The examination cell was a bit small for Zhao Jing. When he stretched out his legs, his calves extended beyond the entrance. The provided quilt was flimsy—not only thin, but also short and smelly. Zhao Jing seriously suspected it was infested with lice, fleas, or even mouse droppings.

He didn’t want to use it, but the night was cold. Relying on his cloak alone would surely leave him freezing. With no other choice, Zhao Jing pulled the quilt over himself.

But even with the quilt, he couldn’t sleep. Just then, Zhao Jing heard someone hammering away with a hatchet.

He was instantly reminded of the oilcloth.

The moon was bright and the stars were few against a clear sky, and a pleasant breeze was blowing. It looked like the next day would have good weather. Still, just in case, securing the oilcloth in advance was a wise precaution.

Zhao Jing got up and started working. The top scholar from Guyuan County in the next cell grew annoyed.

’I’ve been taking this damn exam all day, my teeth ache, my jaw aches, my head aches, and now it’s time to rest! You’re not even going to let a man sleep? What kind of person does that?’

The man got up and deliberately stomped his feet—THUMP, THUMP—on the floor, a clear signal to Zhao Jing that he was being noisy.

But too many other candidates were also securing their oilcloths. If one listened closely, the entire examination ground was filled with CLANGING AND BANGING. Even if Zhao Jing stopped, would the man really be free from the disturbance?

In the end, Zhao Jing paid the man no mind and methodically finished securing his oilcloth.

Once everything was in order, he lay down and prepared to sleep.

After a good while longer, the surroundings finally fell silent, gradually replaced by the sound of snoring from one side.

The top scholar from Guyuan County had tossed and turned for quite some time before finally falling asleep, and now his snores were loud enough to shake the heavens.

The noise kept Zhao Jing from sleeping. He lay with his eyes open, gazing at the sparkling stars in the inky-blue sky, his mind wandering. ’I wonder what my sister is doing right now.’

The top scholar from Taoli County, in the cell on Zhao Jing’s other side, was apparently also unable to sleep. He started tapping on the wall, entertaining himself.

Zhao Jing heard him begin to recite a poem:

"Crickets chirp beyond the walls, snores resound within these halls. I’ve yet to walk the road to glory, but first, I’ve entered the City of Untimely Death."

A soft "PUFFT" of laughter escaped. Even Zhao Jing was amused by his neighbor’s self-deprecating humor and couldn’t help but break into his first smile of the day.