Chapter 263: Dad, You Should Take the Imperial Examination!

“So I didn’t say anything wrong, did I?” Yan Lao’er tried hard to recall what he’d talked about with those people.

“Nope,” Yan Yu said, genuinely impressed with her father. He’d sat there, pouring his heart out like he was having a deep conversation, yet somehow managed to perfectly avoid all the important topics.

“You really have to stay on your toes when dealing with people like that. One slip of the tongue, even half a sentence, and it could spell trouble,” Yan Lao’er said again. “I wonder if there are any folks from our hometown in Gufeng. If there are…”

Yan Yu stopped poling the raft, pulling the bamboo pole back and laying it across the raft.

The wooden raft immediately slowed down.

Carried by the current, it drifted lazily downstream.

“Dad, aren’t we kind of stupid? Thinking we could save people with just a few herbs. Overestimating ourselves. Like trying to put out a fire with a cup of water. That’s us, isn’t it?”

Yan Lao’er let out a long sigh.

He knew his daughter was just like him—this matter weighed heavily on her heart, and it wouldn’t be easy to let it go.

“Da Bao, we just do what we can, give it all we’ve got…”

Yan Yu cut him off. “Dad, I know. I get it. I understand all the reasoning.”

But it still hurt inside.

Lives were as cheap as grass.

Drifting along with the current.

Ordinary people like them had no say in their own fate.

Why had they ended up outside Gufeng City? Because those people, just like them, had fled from disaster.

They couldn’t survive in their hometowns anymore, so they left, hoping to find a way to live, for themselves and their families.

“But Dad, too many people are dying.” Their first impression of Gufeng was cart after cart of corpses.

Even outside the city, bodies were still being carried away nonstop.

That constable named Shi Shu had said they didn’t just bury the dead once in the morning. They had to go again later in the day. Not once a day, but several times.

How many people had to die?

Most of the time, “bodies strewn across the land” was just a dramatic phrase used to describe tragedy.

But Yan Yu couldn’t help imagining—if no one collected and buried the dead, wouldn’t that horrific scene really come to pass?

They had already arrived in Guanzhou. The drought was behind them. They were just like her family—about to settle down, register as residents, and start a new life.

And yet, everything was undone by disease.

The most ridiculous part? This illness wasn’t even incurable.

Just look at the stark contrast between Crouching Tiger City and Gufeng City.

If you really thought about it, the difference was obvious.

What was it?

The people.

The people in charge were different. The ones doing the work were different. And that alone changed the fate of an entire city.

“Dad, if Magistrate Tian were in charge of Gufeng City, do you think this many people would still be dying?”

Yan Lao’er thought about it and gave an honest answer. “Hard to say. Crouching Tiger City got better, and not to brag, but we did play a small part in that. Like those masks we made, the isolation measures we helped set up…

We even went far out to buy medicine. Our entire village stopped everything else and went into the mountains every day…

And there’s Young Doctor An, who wasn’t afraid to use strong medicine…”

“Magistrate Tian alone wouldn’t have been enough. Everyone had to work together,” Yan Yu added.

“Exactly. But the officials’ decisions are crucial too. You heard it yourself, right? They knew about the methods we used in Crouching Tiger City. Magistrate Tian had already sent them official documents, the prescriptions, the quarantine protocols—everything. But they didn’t use them…”

“Maybe not changing the prescription could be chalked up to caution. But was it really that hard to separate the sick?”

Yan Yu answered her own question. “Yeah, it’s hard. You’d need more people to section off areas for them, to stop them from wandering around.

You’d have to give them clear, strained rice water.

You wouldn’t just be responsible for their food and shelter, but also their cleanliness and hygiene.

The medicine has to match the symptoms. You’d need to diagnose what kind of illness they had, how severe it was, and use different treatments accordingly. Several big cauldrons brewing medicine, each one different…”

Yan Yu let out a long sigh. “It’s so hard!”

Yan Lao’er said nothing.

He knew his daughter was being sarcastic.

“Dad, do you remember what Uncle said?” Yan Yu turned her clear eyes toward him. When Yan Lao’er met her gaze, he could almost see his own reflection in them.

“Which part?” he asked, a vague memory stirring.

Sure enough, his daughter repeated Old Yan’s words:

“At the top, he fails to govern. At the bottom, he achieves nothing. Can such a man be called a good official?”

Yan Yu continued, “Dad, whether the magistrate of Gufeng City is a good official or not doesn’t really matter.

What matters is that the lives of an entire city rest in his hands. Whether he’s diligent, whether he’s capable—that makes all the difference for the city and the people in it!”

Yan Lao’er wiped his face. “Your uncle’s great ambition was to bring peace to the people.”

Even now, when he recalled Old Yan’s expression, his gestures, his tone that day, his heart still stirred.

“If it were Uncle in charge, he’d never let Gufeng fall into such danger. Even without us, I believe he would’ve come up with a solution,” Yan Yu said firmly. Her conviction didn’t come from some blind faith in a storybook protagonist, but from years of living alongside Old Yan, getting to know him, and learning to trust him.

Yan Huaiwen—Old Yan—her uncle, was someone you could count on.

“Magistrate Tian is the same. Just look at the preparations he made for the refugees—you can tell he truly cares!” Yan Yu’s voice grew louder, echoing over the gentle river, as if she were challenging the green peaks on either side.

“Magistrate Tian didn’t let the refugees go hungry. He didn’t serve them rice water—he gave them actual porridge. The Crouching Tiger government office had people juggling multiple roles, yet they still managed to take good care of the refugees. This isn’t our modern era. Here, the common folk fear officials. They obey. They’re obedient—extremely obedient.”

All they needed was someone to help them out of their predicament.

Even just a sliver of possibility was enough for them to live with hope and optimism.

A glimpse of hope could feel like their whole life had been lit up.

Yan Yu paused, calming the surge of emotion in her chest.

Her voice softened. “Dad, I’m so glad I have you. I’m so glad we’re together.”

If she were alone, she’d probably be lost, unsure of how to face life in this world.

She might survive, sure, but it would be nothing like this. Not even close.

Her parents had protected her so well. She was already in her twenties, yet still like a child, relying on them for everything—materially and emotionally.

She drew more from the latter. She leaned on them, drew courage and strength from them.

She could be carefree, even willful, because she knew her parents would always accept her, always love her.

Her father would indulge her antics, laugh with her, play along. Her mother would grumble and complain, but always watched her with a smile.

Yan Lao’er suddenly felt a pang in his heart.

He pitied his daughter.

His precious girl wasn’t some clueless, carefree child. She was sensitive, deeply so.

She might laugh and joke on the surface, but she saw everything clearly. She understood more than she let on.

She didn’t have lofty ambitions. She just wanted a simple, happy life.

But here, in this world, even that kind of happiness had become a luxury.

If only their own family was doing well, if only their village was okay, did that really count as “good”?

If his daughter were just a little more selfish, a little more cold-hearted, she might have had an easier time.

But she wasn’t like that.

She wasn’t a real child anymore. Her thoughts were already shaped, molded by the peaceful, comfortable world she grew up in.

Back then, her biggest worry had been how to sneak in a little “unproductive” fun behind her mother’s back while juggling her studies…

“Sweetheart, don’t be scared. You’ve got your dad. No matter what happens, I’ll carry it all for you. Look at how tiny you are—if the sky falls, it won’t even touch you.” Yan Lao’er deliberately spoke in a lighthearted tone.

He didn’t know how to comfort her. Nothing he said felt like it would help.

Because his daughter would figure it out on her own.

“Dad! You should take the Imperial Examination!”

Yan Yu’s words nearly made Yan Lao’er’s jaw hit the floor.

“What? Me? What did you say?”

Yan Yu said, “Good thing the big official from Gufeng City didn’t come today. If he had, you wouldn’t have been able to bluff your way through like in Crouching Tiger City. You’d have had to kneel.”

That was the treatment commoners got.

Yan Lao’er took a few deep breaths. “I can do it. I can kneel. I’ll have your mother sew me something to make kneeling easier.”

Yan Yu: …

Sure, they had to adapt to this world.

But Dad, you don’t have to be *that* accommodating.

“Dad, just try a little. Just pass the Tong Sheng level. Then you won’t have to kneel anymore, and you’ll even get to speak a few words in front of the big officials.”

Yan Yu felt this was especially important.

As a mere commoner, no one cared what you thought.

Why had Magistrate Tian in Crouching Tiger City so easily accepted the idea of masks, and even allowed Yan Lao’er to go out and buy medicine?

She believed it had a lot to do with her uncle’s Xiu Cai status and his position in the local government.

Besides, her dad always seemed exhausted after dealing with people.

He was sincere and kind, never minded cold shoulders, always offering warmth and friendliness.

But in this world, where social classes were so rigid…

People didn’t judge by your face, but by your clothes—by your status.

A Xiu Cai’s younger brother might one day be a Juren’s younger brother, or even a high official’s brother…

Was her dad going to be “someone’s little brother” forever?

At the very least, he could become a Tong Sheng.

She used to scoff at all this, but now she was starting to understand her uncle’s intentions.

“What would I be doing hanging around big officials anyway? I’m not taking the exam,” Yan Lao’er said. “Every place has its customs. When in Rome, kneel to the officials. What’s the big deal? How many times would I even see one? If not for this plague, the bigwig wouldn’t be out strolling around. I wouldn’t even get a glimpse of him.”

Between kneeling and taking the exams, he’d rather kneel.

“Dad, the exams in Guanzhou are easier. Just put in a little effort. I know Big Brother’s study progress—Uncle says he’s got a good shot at passing the Xiu Cai exam. Really, just read the books and memorize them. It’s not that hard,” Yan Yu tried to persuade him.

Yan Lao’er shook his head vigorously. “Don’t try to fool me. I’ve already asked around. People say the literary scene here is weak, but that’s not true. These folks are properly educated. The hard stuff is hard because there’s no one to teach it, but their foundations are solid. The Four Books and Five Classics? They might not recite them backward, but it’s close. Mention any quote, and they can tell you which book it’s from, who wrote it, under what circumstances—it’s all at their fingertips!”

Yan Yu hadn’t expected her dad to have done such thorough research.

“You see, Dad? It’s just memorizing. You can do that too. Memorize two books a month, and by the start of the year, you’ll be ready.”

Yan Lao’er kept grumbling, “Two books a month? Then what about those folks who studied for years? Sweetheart, your dad just isn’t cut out for studying. If I were, would you have had such a carefree childhood? I knew how hard studying was—that’s why I never pushed you like your mom did.”

Yan Yu: …

“Dad, you’re amazing! And because you’re so amazing, that’s exactly why you *have* to pass the exam,” Yan Yu said through gritted teeth.

“Why?” Yan Lao’er was baffled.

“Think about it! If you became an official, imagine how lucky your people would be to have you!”

Yan Lao’er: …

His hand trembled as he raised it, then trembled again as he lowered it.

“You… Sweetheart! You go take the exam. I support you. Go on, dress up like a boy, take the exam in your poor old dad’s name. You can do it. I believe in you.”

What the heck was going on here? His precious daughter had clearly lost her mind. She actually wanted *him* to become an official? Why not just ask him to ascend to the heavens while she was at it?

Dress up as a man… Did she think she hadn’t considered it? She wouldn’t even make it past the household registration check, let alone the body inspection.

“Dad, look, Uncle Liang is just a Tong Sheng, right? But Master Tian still made him the Household Registrar. Working at the yamen is great—it’s respectable, he gets extra income, plus the silver from Big Uncle’s filial offerings and other side earnings. It all adds up,” Yan Yu said, his small eyes darting mischievously.

But Yan Lao’er wasn’t falling for it. “I can make money at home just fine. Right now, I’m already earning more than your Big Uncle.”

“But what about social status?”

“Your Big Uncle’s got that covered. He’s a Xiucai, and I’m the Xiucai’s younger brother. No one looks down on me.”

“It’s still better to have your own!”

“He’s my real brother. We haven’t split the family, so what’s his is mine. What’s wrong with basking in his light a little? It’s not like I’m doing anything shady.”

“Dad! If you want your voice to carry more weight, you need to stand on higher ground!”

“That’s what your Big Uncle is for. He’s already standing high. If you want something done, go ask him.”

“Dad! But you’re my dad!”

“Your Big Uncle is your uncle, and an uncle is like a father too. He’s still your elder. You can respect and honor him just like you do me.”

Yan Yu: …

Tch, still not convinced, huh?

“Dad, didn’t you say there are some things we have to do ourselves? That no one else can do them for us—not even Big Uncle? Look at this medicine business. Everything we’ve thought of so far relies on others.”

“Give me some time to think,” Yan Lao’er said, frustrated. “I don’t believe for a second that the only way to get this done is by working at the yamen, becoming an official, or passing the exams… I won’t accept that! I’ll figure out another way!”

Yan Yu: …

His dad usually wasn’t this stubborn. Just how deep did his resentment—or fear—of studying go?

…

As they drew closer to Changping, more and more boats appeared on the river.

There were small skiffs, narrow canoes, and even others like them, riding bamboo rafts.

Their unusual raft drew curious glances from passersby.

The current in this stretch of the river grew swifter, making it harder for a child like Yan Yu to help steer in front of others.

So Yan Lao’er had to take over.

Thankfully, it was mostly just minor course corrections, a few easy strokes here and there. It didn’t take much effort.

Yan Lao’er handled it surprisingly well.

They floated on for another hour or so before a bustling dock came into view in the distance.

Large and small boats were moored along the shore, seemingly haphazard but actually quite orderly.

Yan Lao’er carefully poled the raft toward the bank.

The shouts and calls of the dockworkers grew louder and clearer.

“Hey, you on the raft! Come on over, right here!” someone called out.

Yan Lao’er pointed to himself. “You mean me?”

“Yeah, you! Who else? You’re not from around here, are you? Come on, there’s an empty spot right here.”

(End of Chapter)