Chunhou and Zhang Ji were both stunned speechless.
Their expressions blank, their four eyes met.
"It's Song Shi'an, right?" Zhang Ji looked at Chunhou. "They said... those three characters, right?"
"You heard it too?"
Chunhou thought his own ears had gone bad, asking with extreme uncertainty.
"Damn it!"
The next moment, Chunhou turned his head to look at the completely unperturbed Song Shi'an: "You little bastard, you didn't actually pass the provincial exam, did you?"
"This isn't as simple as just passing the exam."
At this time, Wang Shuishan spoke with a serious tone.
The two looked toward Wang Shuishan, not understanding his meaning.
"If he merely passed the exam, why would they repeatedly mention this name?" Wang Shuishan asked rhetorically.
Only then did the two react.
Right—nearly a hundred people passed, how could they all uniformly speak a name unrelated to those examinees?
Judging by this, this guy definitely didn't just pass.
Moreover, there are nine sub-yuan positions—why would only his name be discussed?
"Heavens, Song Shi'an got jieyuan!"
After the word 'jieyuan' came from behind them, Chunhou and Zhang Ji's jaws nearly hit the ground.
Wang Shuishan slowly turned his head, looking at this man who had been 'together morning and night' with him these past few days, too shocked to speak.
According to their understanding, this should be Song Shi'an's third provincial examination.
What kind of person fails to even pass the first two times, then gets jieyuan on the third attempt?
So you hadn't been studying at all before!?
"Shi'an!"
Grabbing Song Shi'an's arm, Chunhou advised him as if mourning at a funeral: "Examination fraud is a grave crime—you're being foolish!"
Fuck off.
"Right, who took the exam for you? You should just confess!" Zhang Ji also found it hard to accept.
You fuck off too!
"Shi'an, you got jieyuan, you got jieyuan!" At this time, a man who knew Song Shi'an waved to him, his attitude excited.
"Who might this gentleman be?"
Song Shi'an felt a bit unfamiliar—even in his own memories, he didn't recall this person.
So the man cheerfully said: "You forgot? We visited a brothel together!"
"I see."
OK, this works—we're brothers.
"Congratulations, congratulations!" The man grasped Song Shi'an's hand, very sincere.
"Many thanks, many thanks."
Song Shi'an also responded politely.
Just as he finished speaking, Chunhou suddenly called out: "Father!"
"..."
While Wang Shuishan was still dazed, Zhang Ji immediately followed suit: "Father!"
This call was especially heartfelt, even more affectionate than when they called their actual fathers.
The logic was quite simple.
Competing with your buddy on exam scores, losing and calling him father once—that's honoring a bet, no choice.
But when your buddy ranks first in the entire province and can become a county magistrate right after the exam...
At this time, this is your strongest connection!
This is the ultimate understanding of social climbers.
While others are still trying to get close, these two are already ready to kowtow.
But for brothers, the first instinct when one gains power is to distance themselves.
"Nonsense, nonsense." Song Shi'an covered the side of his face with one hand, not taking the bait.
"Jingxiu-xiong... congratulations on achieving jieyuan."
Only Wang Shuishan, acting completely normal, clasped his hands together and offered sincere congratulations. Then he squeezed into the crowd: "I also need to see if I'm on the list."
Song Shi'an returned the courtesy.
When he turned his head, he saw a refined face staring at him somewhat woodenly.
"Jingming, you passed too."
As Song Ce was staring blankly at Song Shi'an, someone emerged from the crowd, smiling and patting his shoulder.
"What rank?" Song Ce turned his head to ask.
"Didn't count... but I passed anyway!" the man said magnanimously.
Meaning he wasn't a sub-yuan, and his ranking was quite far back.
At most, he passed.
And he got jieyuan?
Working very hard, Wang Shuishan squeezed into the crowd, drilling forward bit by bit.
Jingxiu got jieyuan...
First place in Si Prefecture.
And these past few days, I've been engaging in lofty discourse with him.
Thinking myself talented and ambitious.
If I didn't pass, what face would I have to be his friend?
The more he thought, the more anxious Wang Shuishan became.
Without realizing it, he'd already squeezed to the front rows.
Being tall, his view wasn't obstructed—he could see all the names above.
At the very top, occupying one-fifth of the list, standing alone was three characters: Song Shi'an.
The remaining second through tenth places, below it, occupying another fifth, were the nine sub-yuan.
Sun Qian, Fan Wuji, Gao Yunyi...
Sub-yuan—I'm not there either.
Eleventh place, twelfth place...
Counting all the way down to eightieth place, Wang Shuishan still hadn't seen his own name.
His heart grew colder bit by bit.
Until at the ninety-first position, he suddenly saw three characters very similar to his name.
After a moment of daze, he confirmed it.
Ninety-first place, Wang Shuishan!
Clenching his fist, he finally relaxed completely, saying through gritted teeth: "At least I passed."
"Make way, make way—once you've seen it, move along, don't keep hogging the spot!"
Amid the protests, Wang Shuishan casually scanned the rest of the list, then emerged from the crowd, wearing a smile, finally arriving before Song Shi'an and the others.
"How did it go?"
Seeing him also smiling, Song Shi'an asked with genuine happiness.
"Ah, embarrassing—I nearly didn't pass." Wang Shuishan laughed and waved his hand.
"You little bastard, putting on airs now!"
Song Shi'an raised his hand as if to high-five, then grabbed his hand and immediately cursed.
The two gripped each other's hands tightly, looked at each other, and laughed freely.
The light boat had already passed ten thousand mountains.
"Did we pass?"
Zhang Ji asked weakly.
Seeing both of them had passed, he couldn't help but have this illusion—could it be that everyone who takes the exam passes?
To this, Wang Shuishan slowly shook his head with a slight smile.
"You're even asking—think you could pass, huh?" Chunhou immediately mocked.
"How could I not know? I took it casually, naturally impossible to pass." Zhang Ji laughed dismissively, then turned to Song Shi'an. "Shi'an, tonight you'd better treat us properly..."
"Song-daren, is that Song-daren?!"
Just then, a man dressed in silk finery, wearing a round hat, looking quite well-off, rushed over.
"What is it?" Song Shi'an said.
Wang Shuishan: "..."
You've adapted to being called that so quickly?
"Song-daren."
The man raised his hand, and a servant beside him lifted the red cloth from the wooden tray he was holding.
Gleaming gold, dazzling and radiant.
"What are you trying to do?!"
When facing this situation, Song Shi'an instinctively looked for cameras.
Oh right, this is Great Yu—they haven't invented cameras and TikTok yet.
Good, good.
"This humble one has a young daughter, obedient and lovely, seventeen years old. Is Song-daren married yet?" the man asked.
"Is your young daughter here?"
Being approachable, Song Shi'an inquired without any airs.
"My daughter is at home, daren can come back with me."
Not expecting Song Shi'an to be so straightforward, the man hurriedly extended an invitation.
"Then never mind."
Waving his hand, Song Shi'an treated money like dirt and simply left.
"Song-daren, Song-daren!"
The man hurriedly tried to keep him, and seeing his resolve, turned with a smile to Wang Shuishan: "Did this daren pass?"
"I passed, but have no such interest. My apologies."
Wang Shuishan smiled and politely declined, then caught up with Song Shi'an and left.
"Ah!"
The man felt quite frustrated.
Turning his head, he saw the other two staring at the gleaming gold, practically drooling.
His dejection instantly dissipated as the man asked warmly with a smile: "Did you two daren pass?"
Coming to their senses, Zhang Ji and Chunhou dumbly shook their heads.
Instantly, the man's expression changed: "If you didn't pass, what kind of daren are you!"
Saying this, he covered the gold again with the red cloth, turned and left.
Before leaving, he suddenly stopped, turned back toward their feet, gathered his strength and—"Heh... ptui!"