The Scholar’s Unconventional Little Wife - Chapter 15

The format of the final “Literary Champion” assessment left the entire academy in an uproar.

There were no exam papers, no pen, and no ink. Master Chen had invited three elders to preside, including a retired head accountant, a merchant who had traveled the length and breadth of the country, and to everyone’s surprise, the highly respected Elder Song.

All the students were required to step forward one by one to give an impromptu explanation on a single topic.

The topic was: “If you were a minor official in charge of the market in Qinghe Town, and you encountered an itinerant merchant selling suspicious ‘rare spices’—at an exorbitant price and with unknown effects—while wealthy households fought to purchase them and the poor sought to borrow money to follow suit, how would you handle this?”

Lin Ruoan stood in line, her mind racing. My goodness, a practical problem regarding grassroots administrative handling? It even combines economics, public livelihood, and risk management. Master Chen isn’t playing around; he’s serving up the real deal.

Some students quoted the classics, talking grandiosely about “a gentleman is not a tool” and “valuing righteousness over profit,” only to be shut down by Master Chen’s curt reply, “A minor official must first fulfill his duty,” and they retreated in shame. Others suggested, “Strictly investigate the source and clearly mark the prices,” which seemed rather mediocre. Zhou Wenyuan was a few spots ahead of her; he spoke eloquently about “stabilizing market prices, advising the local gentry, and reporting to the county magistrate.” His points were clear, and he even cited clauses from the “Market Exchange Law,” which drew slight nods of approval from the elders.

Zhou Wenyuan felt he had performed admirably, and as he walked past Lin Ruoan, a triumphant smirk played on his lips.

It was Lin Ruoan’s turn.

She stepped to the front of the hall and gave a respectful bow to Master Chen and the elders. Elder Song sat holding a cup of tea, eyes lowered, listening quietly.

“In my humble opinion, the crux of this matter lies not in whether the spices are ‘rare’ or how expensive they are, but in the word ‘suspicious’ and the trend of the poor ‘seeking to borrow money to follow suit.'”

Upon hearing this, Master Chen set down his teacup.

“As a minor official, the primary duty is to nip trouble in the bud. The fact that people are scrambling to buy a spice with unknown effects is already unwise. Wealthy households have ample assets and may be able to absorb the loss, but if the poor borrow money to follow the trend, and the spices prove ineffective—or worse, harmful—it could lead to broken families and public resentment. This is the first danger.”

“The ‘suspicious’ item is of unknown origin. If it were merely ordinary goods passed off as superior, the only loss would be financial. However, spices can be consumed or applied to the body. If someone with ill intent uses this to smuggle contraband or probe local sentiment, the harm is far greater. I have heard that in the previous dynasty, spies used ‘exotic overseas perfumes’ as bait to conduct espionage and stir up unrest. This is the second danger.”

At this point, Elder Song had completely shed his relaxed posture, leaning forward slightly to listen intently.

“Therefore, it is my humble view that we should act immediately, following three steps.”

“First, report to the county magistrate at once, detailing the suspicions, and request officials skilled in medicine and spices to assist in investigating the source. This is to leverage the strength of superiors and clarify the foundation.”

“Second, immediately post notices in the market square stating that the item is of ‘unknown effect, has an inflated price, and carries risks,’ and advise the public to delay purchasing it. Specifically, strictly forbid the town’s lending houses from providing loans for this item, effectively cutting off the source of the trend. This is to stabilize public sentiment and prevent disasters before they occur.”

“Third, invite the merchant for a private ‘chat’ to state clearly that the town is already suspicious and the government will soon arrive, and then observe his reaction. If he is panicked and eager to flee, his guilt is likely confirmed; if he is composed and willing to wait for inspection, we can afford to be more patient. This is to ‘beat the grass to startle the snake’ and catch a glimpse of his true intentions.”

After finishing, she bowed again. “This is but my shallow opinion. As a minor official, one holds a humble position but carries a heavy responsibility. It is better to spot trouble in its infancy and act with a measure of severity than to be lazy and complacent, allowing it to brew into a catastrophe. As for whether the spices themselves are rare or not, that is of secondary importance.”

The hall fell into a heavy silence.

Master Chen stroked his beard, remaining speechless for a long time. The elders looked at each other, murmuring in low voices. The old accountant muttered, “Isn’t that a bit harsh? Would we ruin someone’s business just like that?” The old merchant, however, nodded, “It makes some sense. You have to be careful with things of unknown origin, especially when it involves debt.”

Zhou Wenyuan’s face turned ghastly. He, too, was someone who “knew the ropes,” and he could tell immediately that Lin Ruoan’s perspective and keenness were in a different league than his own.

Elder Song, sitting in the corner, gave a soft clap of approval, his admiration undisguised: “To see the macro in the micro, with well-rounded considerations, and even more rare, the alertness to prevent trouble before it begins. Not bad at all.”

Master Chen finally nodded slowly and said to Lin Ruoan, “Though it may seem slightly severe, you have indeed grasped the core of the issue. To govern a region, one truly needs this kind of clarity. You may step down.”

Lin Ruoan breathed a sigh of relief and returned to the line.

Phew… finally made it through!

The examination concluded, and the results would be announced later, based on the assessment of all three sessions. As the students dispersed, they chattered incessantly.

Lin Ruoan was packing her book box, ready to leave, when Master Chen called out, “Ruoan, stay for a moment.”

Her heart skipped a beat, and she walked over. “Master.”

Master Chen looked at her, his expression complex. “What you said today—were you hinting at something?”

Lin Ruoan felt a slight chill, knowing Master Chen was likely thinking of the incident in Qingjiang Prefecture. She replied respectfully, “I was merely speaking on the matter at hand. However, history teaches us that local governance failures often begin because minor risks were not detected and curbed in time. I have not forgotten your teaching: study to understand the truth, and understand the truth to apply it.”

Master Chen stared at her for a moment before finally waving his hand. “Very well. As long as you know what you are doing. Go on.”

Lin Ruoan bowed and exited. Only when she walked out of the academy did she realize her back was covered in a thin layer of cold sweat. Interviews are so hard. She stuck out her tongue, yet her mood was buoyant. Regardless of the outcome, she felt she had performed to the best of her ability in this final assessment.

She hadn’t gone far when a young attendant in green robes chased after her, handing over a simple bamboo food box. He said respectfully, “Master Lin, my master, Elder Song, appreciates the excellent snacks from your house. He commanded me to return the box and include a packet of his homemade dried plums as a gesture of gratitude. Please pass these to the young lady who prepared them.”

Lin Ruoan quickly took the box, which had a bit of weight to it. The box was her own, and it had been thoroughly cleaned. There was also a paper parcel that gave off a faint, elegant scent of plums.

“Many thanks to Elder Song; I will certainly deliver these.”

Back at the eatery, Lin Ruoan mentioned the food box and the gift of dried plums from Master Song.

Xu Fenggu opened the paper parcel. Inside were plump, high-quality dried plums, clearly not the usual variety sold in local markets. She picked one up, sniffed it, and carefully rewrapped it. “This Elder Song is very thorough in his manners, and his intentions aren’t simple either. These are the signature plums from ‘Qinfang Studio’ in the capital; they are hard to come by for ordinary people, let alone someone carrying them to such a small town. He truly values you two.”

Lin Ruoan also sensed the weight of this “return gift.”

Xu Wangyou, however, was focused on something else. She picked up the sparkling clean food box, inspected it twice, and murmured, “Cleaned so well… even shinier than when I scrub it with a loofah.” She then sniffed the plum parcel, her tone joyful, “This plum has a very pure scent; it would be perfect for making plum blossom cakes or brewing plum syrup.”

Lin Ruoan laughed and handed the plums to her. “Then they are yours, you clever girl.”

Xu Wangyou took them, hugging the parcel to her chest, her eyes curving into crescents.

During dinner, the discussion of Lin Ruoan’s performance naturally continued.

Somehow, the conversation drifted back to the dried plums and Elder Song.

“This Elder Song, hiding away here, is likely not just looking for peace and quiet,” Xu Fenggu said slowly. “His gestures of goodwill might be out of appreciation for talent, or perhaps he just finds the two of you interesting. But we must keep a balanced perspective—neither humble nor arrogant, treat him with a normal heart. Being overly enthusiastic or deliberately distant would both be inappropriate.”

Lin Ruoan nodded in agreement.

Xu Wangyou suddenly interjected, “The way he looks at Brother Ruoan is different from how he looks at me.”

“Oh? How is it different?” Lin Ruoan asked curiously.

Xu Wangyou struggled to find the words. “When he looks at me, it’s like… looking at a well-made object, admiring, but there is a distance. When he looks at Brother Ruoan, it’s like… looking at a tree that is growing, full of anticipation, wanting to see how tall it will grow.”

The comparison was simple, yet eerily precise.

Xu Fenggu’s expression deepened, and she said nothing.

That night, after washing up, Xu Wangyou stood by the bed, clutching her pillow as usual.

Lin Ruoan looked at her—looking both matter-of-fact and expectant—and deliberately stiffened her face. “The floor isn’t cold tonight.”

Xu Wangyou blinked, her voice soft. “But… the bed is warm. And I want to hear more about your exam today.”

Lin Ruoan was amused by her flimsy excuse and couldn’t keep a straight face any longer. She helplessly patted the mattress. “Come up, you little gossip.”

Xu Wangyou immediately climbed onto the bed, skillfully burrowing into the inner side, and even tucked the quilt toward Lin Ruoan.

They blew out the lamp and lay side-by-side in the darkness. Lin Ruoan began to share the details of the exam and Master Chen’s subsequent questions.

Xu Wangyou listened intently, occasionally asking “why,” and Lin Ruoan patiently explained. When she finished, Xu Wangyou was silent for a moment before asking, “You thought it was ‘suspicious’ because you’ve seen bad things happen, right? Like what was written in that private diary?”

Lin Ruoan’s heart gave a start. “Yes,” she replied softly.

“That’s good,” Xu Wangyou said. “Only by remembering the bad things can we avoid them and protect what is good. You did the right thing.”

The simple words felt like a warm current flowing into Lin Ruoan’s heart. She reached out, feeling for Xu Wangyou’s hand under the quilt, and held it.

Xu Wangyou squeezed back gently.

“Wangyou,” Lin Ruoan asked in a low voice, “If… let’s say, in the future, we encounter more ‘suspicious’ things, or even… danger, would you be afraid?”

Xu Wangyou barely hesitated. “No.” She thought for a moment and added, “As long as you are there, I am not afraid.”

In the darkness, Lin Ruoan felt her eyes grow hot. She squeezed Wangyou’s hand tightly.

“Yes, I’m here,” she promised. “We’ll face it together.”