FIMA Ch52: Missing You

Xie Changyue’s eyes widened, “You can see it, really?”

Wang Xu was shocked, “You can see the writing on the round list on the opposite wall from here? What kind of eyes do you have?”

Gu Siyuan, “Human eyes.”

Wang Xu didn’t argue, “Since that’s the case, my seat number is sixty-seven. Can you see mine?”

Gu Siyuan didn’t move his eyes and said directly, “I see it.”

Wang Xu rolled his eyes, very angry at his friend’s nonsense, “You didn’t even look down.”

Gu Siyuan said calmly, “Because it’s close to mine, I saw it together earlier.”

Wang Xu, “Then tell me, what’s my rank?”

At this moment, the two servants who were looking at the list came rushing up, “Young master, young master, you are second…”

Wang Xu’s mouth twitched, trying to smile but holding back, covering his face with a folding fan and coughing lightly, “Not bad, average, average.”

The other scholars waiting on this floor looked over; wasn’t this just asking for a beating?

Wang Xu then asked his servant, “What about Brother Gu?”

The servant glanced at him and said softly, “Master Gu is the top scorer.”

“Damn,” Wang Xu cursed.

Although he had some suspicions when he learned he was second, he still felt inexplicably discontent.

He looked at Gu Siyuan’s cold and composed face, puzzled, “Did you really see your ranking just now, and saw that I was right next to you?”

Gu Siyuan took a sip of tea, his tone as cold as ever, “Why would I deceive you about something like this?”

“Damn,” Wang Xu cursed again, “Are you even human? You got the top spot in the county exam, yet your face looks like it’s covered in ice, not changing at all.”

Gu Siyuan replied, “It was expected. If it weren’t, that would be surprising.”

At this, Wang Xu was left speechless.

Meanwhile, Xie Changyue and Gu Er snapped out of their shock.

Xie Changyue suddenly pounced on his husband, “Husband, you’re the top scorer! I knew you were the best.”

Gu Siyuan quickly reached out to hold him.

Standing by the window, if he suddenly pounced like this and fell out…

Gu Er and Mu Xia were almost trembling with joy, their hands tightly clasped, constantly exclaiming, “Yang’er, so wonderful, so wonderful!”

Gu Siyuan nodded to them, “These years, you’ve worked hard, Father and Pa.”

They quickly shook their heads.

Wang Xu reminded from the side, “Brother Gu, you’d better go home now. The county top scorer will have a formal document as proof, and the county magistrate will send constables to deliver the good news.”

Gu Er quickly said, “Yes, yes, let’s go home. Thank you, young master.”

Wang Xu shook his head.

Gu Siyuan clasped his fist, “See you at the academy.”

“See you at the academy,” Wang Xu also clasped his fist and reminded, “No need to hurry too much on the way; the constables usually arrive at noon.”

“Alright.”

Since there was no need to rush, Gu Siyuan first went to Anping Academy, which was also on the book market street, to thank his mentor.

While those who participated in the county exam were on break, the other students at the academy were still attending classes.

Gu Siyuan went directly to see Master Chen. Although Master Chen had some expectations and guesses about him being the top scorer, hearing it confirmed, he was overjoyed.

He rarely praised him and then encouraged him not to become complacent. In a few days, he would need to return to the academy for classes.

Gu Siyuan agreed to everything.

Afterward, he and his family headed back to Huangyang Village.

Although they knew they had enough time, Gu Er still drove the ox cart noticeably faster than usual.

The four of them had left home in the morning to see the rankings in the county town, then visited the academy, and by the time they returned to Gu’s house, it wasn’t even noon yet.

“Yo, you’re back. If you weren’t the top scorer, wouldn’t this be embarrassing?” Li Xiangtao sneered from the doorway.

Xie Changyue looked up at her and suddenly laughed strangely, “No wonder. I should thank Auntie for her kind words this morning.”

Gu Er and Mu Xia also chuckled lightly.

Li Xiangtao was taken aback by their reactions, “What do you mean?”

Xie Changyue sincerely said, “I’m thanking Auntie for her blessing. My husband really is the top scorer in the county exam.”

“Haha…” Li Xiangtao was first shocked, then burst into laughter, “He got the top spot? Lying without batting an eye.”

Her own son, who had been praised as smart since childhood, only got third place in the county exam. How could Gu Yang, who had never been praised by the teacher, be the top scorer?

And the top scorer in the county exam didn’t even need to take the prefectural exam to get the title of scholar. If that were true, wouldn’t Gu Yang be on par with her son?

Impossible.

Too fake…

Xie Changyue lazily glanced at her, “Laugh, laugh all you want. The top scorer’s document will arrive soon. Auntie, remember to have an extra bowl of rice at lunch, don’t lose your appetite out of spite.”

Seeing his certainty, Li Xiangtao’s face changed.

Could it be true…

The Gu family’s house was near the village entrance.

At noon, just after Gu Siyuan and his family finished lunch, they heard the sound of horse hooves and a gong from the village road.

Then came a loud voice, “Is this Huangyang Village?”

Someone replied, “Yes.”

The voice shouted, “Great news for Gu family in Huangyang Village! I am here by order of the county magistrate to deliver the good news. Where is the house of Mr. Gu Yang?”

Gu Siyuan led his family out, but Old Master Gu was faster, already bringing the two constables delivering the news to the house.

Seeing Gu Siyuan, Old Master Gu pointed at him, “This is my grandson, Gu Yang!”

The two constables, dressed in red sashes and holding gongs and documents, immediately shouted, “Congratulations to Mr. Gu for being the top scorer in this year’s Wuqing County Exam!”

Gu Siyuan cupped his hands, “Thank you for your hard work.”

He then handed them two red envelopes.

The constables, smiling brightly, handed over the document, “Mr. Gu, please take this.”

After that, they mounted their horses and left.

Once they were gone, the neighbors gathered around, offering endless congratulations.

Gu Siyuan thanked them all and returned to the courtyard.

The first thing he saw was Li Xiangtao, looking shocked and disbelieving, but he ignored her.

Old Master Gu, with a hint of flattery, said, “Yang’er, you did so well. Let’s have a family dinner to celebrate tonight?”

Gu Siyuan shook his head, “It’s just the county exam. Let’s celebrate after the prefectural exam.”

Old Master Gu was stunned.

But Gu Siyuan didn’t care and went straight home.

He wasn’t trying to anger the old man but was speaking the truth. It was already early March, and the prefectural exam was in mid-April. Registration was required a month in advance.

So, in a few days, he would have to go to Tongzhou City.

Xie Changyue clearly thought of this too, “Husband, when are you going to Tongzhou?”

Gu Siyuan said, “I’ll return to the academy for classes tomorrow, then travel with my classmates who vouched for me in the county exam.”

Xie Changyue nodded and felt relieved.

The next day, Gu Siyuan went to Anping Academy as usual.

This time, over ten people from the academy participated in the county exam, and five passed the main exam, a fairly high proportion.

With exactly five people, they could vouch for each other in the prefectural exam, without needing to find other students outside.

Among these people, Gu Siyuan and Wang Xu, being the first and second place in the county exam, were particularly eye-catching.

Presumably, next year, or even sooner, the number of people enrolling in the academy would see a significant increase.

As a result, Scholar Qi specially invited them to his study. Knowing that Gu Siyuan, as the county top scorer, would participate in the prefectural exam, he remained calm and said, “If the two of you rank high in the prefectural exam, I will personally teach you when you return.”

Naturally, Gu Siyuan thanked him. Having a scholar teach a student was an honor, and even if they passed the scholar exam and entered the prefectural school, the instructors would still be scholars.

A few days later, a group of people took a carriage to Tongzhou. By the time they arrived, it was noon. After resting briefly at an inn, they went to the prefectural office to register.

After that, they hurried back in the carriage, and when Gu Siyuan arrived home, it was already dark.

Xie Changyue was alone, sitting on a chair at the door, waiting for him.

Gu Siyuan walked over, picked him up, and carried him inside, “The weather is still chilly, why are you sitting outside? Didn’t I say I might come back late?”

Xie Changyue pouted, “I just wanted to wait for you.”

Mu Xia made a gesture on the side, “Changyue hasn’t had dinner yet.”

Gu Siyuan lightly patted his butt, “Don’t do this next time.”

Xie Changyue, unusually shy, buried his head in his husband’s shoulder, thinking, “At my age, getting my butt smacked…”

They brought out the food kept warm in the pot, and Gu Siyuan and Xie Changyue fed each other until they finished their meal.

After washing up and lying on the bed, Xie Changyue tugged at his sleeve and asked, “Husband, when does the prefectural exam start?”

Gu Siyuan replied, “April 13th.”

Xie Changyue counted on his slender fingers, “The exam is on April 13th, so you need to leave for Tongzhou by April 11th. There are three rounds, the first two take one day each, and the third one takes two days. Then, you’ll have to stay in Tongzhou until the results are out. So… you’ll be gone for over ten days…”

The more he counted, the more disheartened Xie Changyue felt.

This time, going to Tongzhou, unfamiliar with the place, his husband didn’t feel comfortable taking him along.

Gu Siyuan pinched his cheek and softly said, “Do you miss me that much?”

“Yes,” Xie Changyue nodded vigorously, “You came back late today, and I missed you so much.”

His feelings were always straightforward and passionate, without reservation.

Gu Siyuan’s heart tightened slightly, he pulled him into his arms and lightly kissed his forehead, “Good boy.”

Xie Changyue lifted his head and started kissing his chin and Adam’s apple bit by bit.

In the end, all the sorrow and longing were dissolved in the fervent love and sweat.

Gu Siyuan resumed his life at the academy.

The prefectural exam had three rounds: the first two were classics and essays, and the last one, taking two days, was policy discussion.

Gu Siyuan was very familiar with classics and essays, so for the next month before the exam, he focused primarily on policy discussion at the academy.

Wang Xu did the same.

Both made significant progress, to the point that Master Chen could hardly find any mistakes, openly saying that after the prefectural exam, they might directly proceed to the academy exam.

The two exchanged a glance, as this had been their plan all along.

Upon hearing this, Scholar Qi began to guide them in advance.

Meanwhile, Xie Changyue found something else to occupy his attention temporarily.

In late March, it was time to start planting the first season of corn.

This year, after the family was divided, they were allotted five acres of dry land and one acre of paddy field.

Gu Er was very optimistic about the yield of corn, so he generously allocated three acres to Xie Changyue for experimentation. The remaining two acres of dry land were planted with wheat as usual, and the acre of paddy field was used for seedling cultivation, to be transplanted in May.

The buds on the trees finally sprouted, and with a spring breeze overnight, they gradually turned from light green to deep green.

In no time, it was April, and the temperature had warmed up.

In Huangyang Village, the fragrance of locust flowers was everywhere. Children hung from the trees like swings, grabbing large handfuls of white locust flowers and stuffing them directly into their mouths, the sweet juice running down their chins and collars.

April 10th.

Since they were leaving for Tongzhou the next day, Anping Academy gave the five of them a day off to rest at home and recharge.

Xie Changyue was in the room, helping Gu Siyuan pack things for the prefectural city.

In fact, he had already packed several times over the past few days, but he couldn’t stop worrying, checking again and again to make sure nothing was forgotten.

Outside in the yard, Gu Er handed something to his son, casually reminding him, “Be careful not to hurt your hand.”

Gu Siyuan took the small knife and shook his head, “I won’t.”

Then he mysteriously went out.

In the evening, as Xie Changyue lay in Gu Siyuan’s arms, pouting absent-mindedly, he felt a cool sensation in his hair.

He quickly reached up and found a long, cool object. Bringing it in front of his eyes, he saw it was a hairpin.

A wooden hairpin, smoothly polished, with a simple crescent moon shape at the head.

He immediately turned his head, looking delightedly at his husband, “You made this for me?”

Gu Siyuan nodded and softly recited, “What can console the pain of parting? The tortoiseshell hairpin behind your ear. Though it’s not tortoiseshell, I made it myself.”

“Husband…” Xie Changyue’s eyes instantly reddened, and he hugged Gu Siyuan tightly, “Husband, I love you to death.”

Gu Siyuan touched his face, “Eat well and sleep well at home, take care of yourself and Pa.”

“Mhm mhm,” Xie Changyue nodded.

After nodding, he grabbed Gu Siyuan’s big hand and rubbed it all over himself, murmuring, “Husband, come on, I know you like this. Soon we won’t be able to for more than ten days, so tonight you can take as long as you want, I won’t cry.”

“…” Gu Siyuan.

Don’t say such things. Is he that kind of person?

However… how could he refuse a beauty’s request?

Gu Siyuan turned over, silencing Xie Changyue’s sometimes pitiful, sometimes cute, sometimes infuriating mouth.

Maybe because the previous night was so enjoyable, Xie Changyue was still asleep when Gu Siyuan left the next day.

For this prefectural exam, Gu Er accompanied him to Tongzhou. The two walked to the academy first, then met up with the four other classmates taking the exam.

Except for Wang Xu, who brought two servants, the other three only brought a family member or a study attendant. The group of more than ten people hired three carriages and headed grandly to Tongzhou.

Since they had arranged in advance to book an inn in the city, their goal was clear upon entering the city.

After having lunch and resting a bit, they went to see the exam site at the Gongyuan.

After returning from the Gongyuan, they rested at the inn on April 12th.

In the early morning of April 13th, everyone got up early, carrying their exam baskets, and lined up in the long queue of examinees outside the Gongyuan.

Huangyang Village.

Mu Xia looked at his son-in-law, who ran out again at noon, and couldn’t help but smile. Young people are really full of energy. His husband has also been away for more than ten days.

Villagers, carrying hoes, returned from the fields, passing by the village entrance and gathering together to chat, “It’s the 27th today, right? It’s been fourteen days already. Scholars have it tough, being away from home for so long.”

“Yes… Changyue has been waiting here every day!”

“The young couple has a good relationship!”

At first, Xie Changyue wasn’t used to it, but now he could ignore such comments.

He squatted by the familiar big stone, his eyes fixed on the official road ahead.

Last summer, when his husband first went to the academy, he waited here every day for two months.

But after autumn, his husband didn’t allow him to wait anymore, worried about him.

Thinking of this, a sweet smile appeared on Xie Changyue’s face.

Just then, the sound of horses and carriages came from the official road.

Xie Changyue’s eyes lit up, and indeed, the carriage was heading towards their village.

With a neigh, the horse raised its front hooves slightly and stopped. A tall, familiar figure jumped down from the carriage.

Gu Siyuan looked at his little husband standing dazedly at the village entrance and opened his arms, “Come, give me a hug. I’ve missed you so much.”

…