The Much-Anticipated Exam

Chapter 24: The Long-Awaited Exam. The daughter and the snake had bitten each other. Everyone said the snake wasn't venomous, but the Peace Talisman had burned to ashes, and Zhu Changjiang's family was terrified, unable to relax at all.

Especially Zhu Changjiang's wife—she was so frightened her legs went weak and her hands went numb, unable to walk. She kept muttering about taking the daughter to see Eldest Miss, to have Eldest Miss check whether the calamity had been avoided.

Zhu Changjiang was also very afraid. After calming his wife and parents, he carried his daughter and hurried to Sanqing Lane to find Eldest Miss.

As soon as he entered, he called out, saying his girl had been bitten by a snake. Yingying wasn't afraid; she even corrected her father: 'I bit the snake, didn't I?' 'What?

You... you bit the snake?' Zhu Changfang, Zhu Fengqin, Wu Shenpo, and the other women working in the front hall were all stunned—how could a person bite a snake? Yingying puffed out her little chest, raised her arm to wipe her mouth, and said, 'That snake coiled around my neck and bit me.

Why can't I bite it back? I have more teeth than the snake.' 'Hey, this girl is something else!' 'Was the snake venomous or not?' 'Is Yingying okay?' 'Where did the snake bite?' Everyone crowded around Yingying, chattering with concern, and Zhu Changjiang couldn't get a word in.

Zhu Shian came from the back courtyard. When she saw Yingying, she first looked at her neck, then at her forehead, and said with a smile, 'I thought I had already warned you—if you stayed obediently at home for a month, the disaster would be averted.

I didn't expect you'd still run into it. But it's fine; the matter is settled.' Zhu Changjiang quickly asked, 'The Peace Talisman you gave Yingying burned to ashes.

Is Yingying in trouble or not?' 'She's fine now.' Zhu Changjiang was overjoyed: 'That's good, that's good.' Zhu Shian sat down and asked, 'Didn't I say not to let her go to the riverbank or the hills? Where did she encounter the snake?' At the mention of this, Zhu Changjiang became annoyed.

He patted his daughter's back and said, 'You tell Eldest Miss yourself.' Yingying grinned and said in a loud voice, 'I went with some older brothers and sisters to look for wild pomegranates in the grass. Who knew a black snake would dart out from the cogon grass, coil around my neck, and bite me?

So I bit it back.' Zhu Fengqin exclaimed, 'Ai yo, it's almost the Dragon Boat Festival, the weather is getting hot, and the snakes, bugs, rats, and ants that hide in holes are coming out. Besides the hills and riverbanks, there must be plenty in the grass too.

It's not Ah'an's fault for not mentioning everything.' Zhu Changjiang quickly said it wasn't Eldest Miss's fault: 'It's my Yingying who was disobedient and ran around, couldn't stay at home.' Zhu Shian beckoned Yingying over. Yingying came over from her father's arms.

'Eldest Miss, you called me?' 'Hold out your hand, let me take a look.' 'Oh.' Zhu Shian felt her pulse, then pinched her little mouth. Yingying playfully stuck out her tongue and laughed.

After checking, Zhu Shian said, 'You're fine now. In the future, don't go into those grassy areas. Otherwise, if you meet a venomous snake next time, what will you do?' Yingying said, 'No way.

The older brothers said all the field mouse holes and rock crevices around here have been cleaned out. Anything that dares to show its head gets caught and eaten.' Speaking of which, this was what the Zhu Family clan members found strange.

Not to mention the places close to the village—even the hillside where people often go to cut firewood, the wild animals are either scared away or caught and eaten. How could Yingying still get entangled by a snake in the grass at the village entrance?

If Eldest Miss hadn't warned Yingying to avoid disaster beforehand, no one would have thought of it as dodging calamity; they would have just treated it as an accident. But since Eldest Miss had reminded them, everyone immediately realized it was about avoiding disaster.

Regardless, it was good that the child was fine. Yingying was brave; she said she wasn't afraid, but Zhu Changjiang was still worried and asked Eldest Miss if the child needed medicine.

Zhu Shian initially said no, but faced with Zhu Changjiang's gaze, she changed her answer: 'There's no medicine at home. Go to County Hospital and ask Zhu Changming to prescribe a dose of Spirit-Calming Decoction.

Bring the herbs back and boil them with our family's water. Have Yingying drink it before going home.' Zhu Changjiang thought this was good.

He left the child at the main residence and ran to County Hospital to get the prescription. Yingying was held and fussed over by a group of young wives.

Zhu Changfang patted her little bottom and said through gritted teeth, 'You're too bold. Don't do this again. Look, your parents were scared to death by you.' Yingying had already been scolded several times today.

She didn't talk back and obediently nodded, saying she wouldn't do it again. She ran out of the crowd, went up to Zhu Shian, and pointed at the red cloth pouch hanging around her neck: 'My treasure is gone.' The stitches of the red cloth pouch had been cut open, and the Peace Talisman inside had burned to ashes and been removed.

Yingying's neck now only held a piece of red cloth. Zhu Shian said, 'If you want one, I'll give you another.' Yingying was delighted: 'And I want Aunt Feng to sew it on for me.' 'Alright.' Zhu Fengqin had nothing to do at the moment, so she took a new Peace Talisman, put it in a red cloth pouch, sewed it shut, and hung it around Yingying's neck.

Yingying was satisfied. She touched the Peace Talisman around her neck, extremely happy. Zhang Hui had the idea to ask for one for her own son, but since her son had no disaster or illness, it was hard to bring up.

The words reached her lips but she swallowed them back. 'Eldest Miss, I'd like to ask for a Peace Talisman for my Xu Tang and Xu Mei.

Is that okay?' Zhu Changfang asked. As soon as Zhu Changfang spoke, the other women also made requests. Zhang Hui quickly followed: 'I also want one for my son.

Ever since he started school, he loves to run around outside with others. When the weather gets hot, I'm terrified he'll go to the riverbank or the mountains to play.

I'm always worried he'll have an accident outside. If I get him a Peace Talisman, I'll feel more at ease.' Zhu Changfang and the others nodded repeatedly; they shared Zhang Hui's thoughts.

Although the children often hung around Eldest Miss, and if anything were wrong, Eldest Miss would surely notice and warn them—just like with Yingying this time—if Eldest Miss didn't warn them, it meant nothing was wrong. Still, having a Peace Talisman would give them peace of mind.

Zhu Shian understood their concerns. In recent days, she had been idle and had accumulated many Talismans, including quite a few Peace Talismans.

It wasn't difficult to take out a dozen or so now, so she gave one to each child from the families in the lane. Zhu Fengqin quietly reminded her, 'Ah'an, you need to be fair.

There are many children in the clan.' 'It's fine. I'll make more in the next couple of days. When the Dragon Boat Festival comes, I'll have them come, and the Peace Talismans can serve as the children's festival gifts.' 'That's good.' The matter of the Peace Talisman shielding Yingying from disaster was witnessed by the Zhu Family clan members.

The Zhu Family members on Sanqing Lane wanted to ask for Peace Talismans for their children, and naturally, those in the village were also tempted. In the evening, Zhu Changjiang took his bouncing daughter home.

As soon as they got off the boat, several close clan relatives stopped him and asked what Eldest Miss had said. 'Eldest Miss said Yingying's disaster had been averted.

I was still worried and asked her to prescribe medicine. She told me to go to County Hospital to buy a packet of Spirit-Calming herbs, boil them for Yingying to drink, and then we came back.' 'Yingying got another Peace Talisman, huh?' Someone with sharp eyes noticed.

Yingying was as proud as a goose stretching its neck, as if to say, 'Come look at my treasure.' Zhu Changjiang pressed down his daughter's raised head and said with a smile to everyone, 'I knew you'd ask about this. Eldest Miss said if your children also want one, bring them to the main residence on Sanqing Lane during the Dragon Boat Festival to see her.' Everyone immediately smiled.

The person who had first noticed Yingying's new Peace Talisman said, 'Thank Eldest Miss for her thoughtfulness. Even if we weren't asking for Peace Talismans, we were planning to bring the children to give Eldest Miss festival gifts anyway.' Eldest Miss's eyes could see through everything.

If the children went and stood before Eldest Miss, they would feel reassured. After Zhu Changjiang brought the message back to the clan, those who were already eager began to move in full force.

On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, boats came and went on the Wang River, many heading toward the city. Some uninformed educated youth asked, 'Is there some event in the county town this Dragon Boat Festival?

Why are so many people going to the city?' 'Look, that's the direction of Zhujia Village. Don't you know why the Zhu Family people are going to the city today?' The educated youth was confused.

What about the Zhu Family? Wasn't it just a single-surname village? What could be special? The one asking was a local villager.

They naturally knew that someone had inherited the main residence of the Sanqing Lane Zhu Family. With so many Zhu Family members heading to the county town, they must be going to deliver festival gifts there.

'No, you—why do you only say half? Tell me quickly, what's going on with the Zhu Family?' 'Haha, what could it be? It's a festival, so they're definitely going to the city to have fun.

I heard the county town is getting livelier these days. Outside the Movie Theater, vendors selling roasted sunflower seeds and peanuts are openly doing business.' 'Really?

No one catches them?' 'I heard the new county magistrate doesn't care about this, so naturally the people below aren't keen on catching them either.' 'Then let's go to the county town too. It's a festival, let's join the fun.' More and more people went to the county town to join the excitement.

On the Spring River, small boats and bamboo rafts multiplied. The young people loved to make trouble. Someone started a water fight with a boat across the way, and the splashing water drenched people on a nearby bamboo raft.

'Ah, which bastard splashed me? Watch me get back at you.' 'Haha, come on, come on, I'm not afraid of you.' They rolled up their sleeves and scooped water with their hands, but the splashes weren't as big as those from people with basins.

The space on the boats and rafts was narrow, and people pushed each other. Someone fell into the river and floundered. Not content with falling in themselves, they pulled others in too.

In the river, on the boats, and on the shore, onlookers all burst into laughter. At the Sanqing Lane Zhu Family residence, Zhu Shian also felt a bit like laughing.

Zhu Kangli, the eldest grandson of Grandpa Zhu Shouguang, was twenty this year and had graduated from high school two or three years ago. When the College Entrance Exam was reinstated last year, he didn't pass.

This year, he was taking a break from work to prepare full-time, waiting to retake the exam in July. Standing among a group of little kids, Zhu Kangli really stood out like a crane among chickens.

At that moment, he could only smile awkwardly. He didn't want to come, but his grandfather insisted. What could he do? Not only did his grandfather make him come, but he also pushed him to stand at the front, doubling the embarrassment.

Zhu Shouguang also came today, specifically to bring several grandchildren. He said urgently, 'Eldest Miss, my eldest grandson isn't married yet, so he counts as a child.

I'm asking for a Peace Talisman for him—you can't refuse.' What could Zhu Shian say? She could only suppress a smile and say, 'Children over eighteen, go line up separately over there.

After these children have received theirs, if there are any left, you can come and get one.' Zhu Shian pointed at the group of children who could barely walk steadily. Zhu Kangli and the older children who were too embarrassed and huddled in the corner silently formed a separate line to the side.

Zhu Kangli waited for half an hour, watching a group of children cheerfully receive Peace Talismans from Eldest Miss, nimbly kneel and kowtow to her, then run back to their elders holding the talismans. After all the children had received theirs, it was Zhu Kangli's turn.

Zhu Shian gave him the Peace Talisman and gave him an extra look: 'Good things come to those who wait. This year, your wishes will come true.' Zhu Kangli trembled with joy.

Did Eldest Miss mean he could pass this year?! Zhu Shian smiled and nodded. Zhu Kangli excitedly knelt and kowtowed to Eldest Miss, so fast it seemed he was afraid that if he was slow, his good fortune would fly away.

Zhu Kangli went to his grandfather's side. Zhu Shouguang gave him a sidelong glance: 'I told you to come, but you didn't want to.

If you hadn't come, would you have gotten a word from Eldest Miss? See, it was worth it.' Zhu Kangli nodded frantically.

It was worth coming. Everyone knew Eldest Miss was like a living immortal; so far, she had never been wrong about anyone.

This year's College Entrance Exam was set to start on July 20th. It was already June, with only a little over a month left.

Having received Eldest Miss's words that his wishes would come true, Zhu Kangli's confidence soared, and his anxiety lessened. Before the Zhu Family's examinees could wait for their College Entrance Exam, the exam that the Zhu Family and Zhu Shian were most concerned about—the one that concerned the Zhu Family's future—began to take shape.

Mingjue Grand Master, the Song Family, and Lu Wen almost simultaneously sent news: registration for the Provisional Individual Medical Practice License National Selection Examination would begin in July, and the exam date was set for August 1st.