Chapter 53: Writing a Letter

"Splendid! Magnificent! Wonderful!" A thunderous roar rang in his ears.

Wang Daniuh's wide mouth split into a grin as his fan-sized palm smacked down on Wang Mingyuan's back, nearly sending him stumbling.

Yet this time, Wang Daniuh managed to restrain himself, holding back from shouting at the top of his lungs, "My third brother has topped the prefectural examination!" as he had when the county examination results were posted. Nor did he excitedly lift Wang Mingyuan up and toss him about as if playing with a piglet.

Instead, he simply grinned broadly, revealing a row of white teeth, and stood there foolishly smiling at the various gazes directed their way.

Indeed, he was now the older brother of a licensed scholar; he could no longer be so clumsy and careless.

Right, he had to maintain his composure.

That was what Manager Liu of the East Market meat stall had said. His son had passed the provincial examination last year, and he had claimed that while he too could hardly contain himself, one had to put on a profound and solemn facade to truly embody the style of a scholarly family.

At this thought, Wang Daniuh suddenly realized his mouth was still hanging wide open in a foolish grin. He quickly snapped it shut, his expression instantly turning deadly serious.

His entire sequence of actions left the onlookers utterly bewildered. Why had he been so overjoyed just a moment ago, only to change so abruptly? Surely there must be something wrong with the top scholar's brother.

Meanwhile, Wang Daniuh had already mentally connected with his father hundreds of miles away, silently expressing his utmost approval of his paternal role.

Before long, however, the ensuing clamor instantly submerged the two of them as gasps of astonishment and incredulous whispers surged like a tide.

"The top scholar is actually from Yongle Town? What kind of place is Yongle Town? I've never heard of it."

"Wang Mingyuan? Who is this? Never heard the name before!"

"Remarkable! What a pity he's a scholar of humble origins, though!"

"That fellow Chen Si actually scraped through by the skin of his teeth? What blind luck!"

Wang Mingyuan clearly caught the last two sour murmurs; they sounded like a few arrogant peers from the prefectural academy. He had no idea whether they had passed or not.

However, he couldn't be bothered to care. His gaze fell upon Chen Si, who was still clutching his sleeve, alternately laughing and crying.

This fellow was still immersed in his emotional turmoil, incoherently wailing:

"I passed! I really passed! I never expected... A scholar! I'm a scholar now! Brother Mingyuan! Top scholar! The top scholar! I knew hitching a ride on your coattails was bound to be right!"

Wang Mingyuan squeezed his still-trembling arm hard, leaving everything unsaid.

Barely scraping by was still passing; one simply had to admire such luck.

After leaving the gates of the prefectural academy, he and his elder brother made a special trip to the pawnshop where Li Ming澜 worked to share the news with him.

Li Ming澜 was naturally overjoyed, repeatedly murmuring to himself, "Mingyuan, I knew you could do it," "You worked so hard when we were studying, this is no more than you deserve," "I'm now a classmate of a distinguished scholar, haha..."

After bidding farewell to Li Ming澜, the two brothers returned to their small courtyard in Wutong Alley.

Back home, Wang Daniuh finally cast off his facade. Rubbing his hands together, he paced back and forth in the narrow main room, his shoe soles scraping against the floor with a soft rustling sound. The wave of excitement clearly had not yet subsided.

"Write! We must write right away! Let Father and Mother know! Let the entire village know!" At this moment, he was discussing with Wang Mingyuan about writing a letter home.

Wang Mingyuan spread out the letter paper, his hand holding the ink stick steady and firm.

Rather than merely detailing the prefectural examination, he recorded every single event of the past two months in clear detail, wanting his anxious family to know his true situation.

He wrote of his experiences upon entering the prefectural city, the awe-inspiring sights of Chang'an...

He rambled on about the hairpin he intended to buy for his mother, the treats he prepared for Huniu, the gifts for the rest of the family...

He wrote of making a new friend, a very kind man named Chen Si...

He wrote of how his eldest brother cooked all sorts of delicious meals for him every day...

He wrote of Instructor Liu's great favor and high regard for him...

Finally, he detailed the examination questions and how he had formulated his answers...

Yet he omitted any mention of his late-night bitter studies, nor the internal pressure and anxiety he had endured...

When he wrote that he was ranked "First of the First Class," the tip of his brush paused slightly, and a faint smile touched the corner of his mouth. Surely this was the news his father would love to see most.

He pondered for a moment, then pulled out the final sheet and placed it right at the top.

At the end of this page, he added a concluding sentence:

"Your son is entirely well, and Eldest Brother tends to my every need with care, do not worry.
Furthermore, please inform Master Zhao of this matter, hoping that he too may share in the joy!
I shall return after the metropolitan preliminary examination."

In the Great Yong Dynasty, prefectural examinations did not feature yamen runners delivering glad tidings as in his past life; only after passing the metropolitan preliminary examination and attaining the official title of a licensed scholar would yamen runners make a house call to announce the good news. Hence why his eldest brother had been so urgent about writing the letter.

Once Wang Mingyuan laid down his brush, Wang Daniuh mysteriously produced a single sheet of paper, through which a few crooked, clumsy characters were faintly visible.

Refusing to let Wang Mingyuan see it, he carefully folded it and placed it at the very bottom of the stack, asking his brother to write down for him: "For Father's personal perusal, written by Daniuh."

For he did not know how to write the character for "written by."

When everything was completed, the letter papers were meticulously folded and tucked into a thick envelope.

Wang Mingyuan wrote the address and recipient on the front, turned it over, sealed the flap with red sealing wax, and then used his brush to heavily write two large characters: "URGENT."

This "URGENT" label was the result of the discussion he and his eldest brother had just shared.

With everything prepared, Wang Daniuh picked up the envelope, strode out the door, and headed away from the house.

Before long, he arrived at the "Fair Wind Courier Agency" in the East Market. It was a modest establishment in the prefectural city that specialized in delivering letters and small parcels for merchants traveling between the north and the south.

The shop was permeated with the scents of sweat and dust. Behind the counter, a gaunt manager with drooping eyelids was clicking away at the beads of an abacus.

Wang Daniuh slammed the envelope bearing the word "URGENT" onto the counter, his voice booming: "Manager, expedited delivery! Send this to Qingshui Village, Yongle Town, Xianning County! How soon can it arrive?"

The manager lifted his eyelids to glance at the word "URGENT" on the back of the envelope, and his face instantly blossomed into a smile: "Ah, you are a man of high standards, sir! By the northern imperial post road, changing horses at the courier stations, and entrusting it to familiar merchants who can make a detour. If expedited... two days at the fastest, three days at the slowest, guaranteed delivery!"

"Splendid!" Wang Daniuh declared decisively, promptly pulling out the money. The cost turned out to be triple that of a regular letter, giving Wang Daniuh a momentary pang of heartache.

Yet that feeling instantly hardened into resolve. It was well worth it if his family could learn the news even a single day sooner; otherwise, who knew how long a slow delivery would take, and his father and mother must be waiting anxiously.

The manager briskly pocketed the silver, pulled out a slip of yellow paper, wrote down the destination and date, tore off one half, and handed it to Wang Daniuh:

"Keep this safe. You can check on it using this stub. We'll arrange for the letter right away, and the merchant caravan heading north this evening will carry it along!"

He turned and shouted into the inner room: "Old Ma! One urgent letter heading north, Yongle Town, Qingshui Village! Find Old Chen's team, they know the route well!"

A man wearing a half-new black short jacket responded from within, stepped out, took the envelope, confirmed the address, slipped it into the thick satchel slung across his chest, nodded to Wang Daniuh, and turned to blend into the bustling crowd outside the door.

Wang Daniuh clutched that half-sheet of yellow paper as if it were a precious treasure, letting out a long breath of relief.

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Two days later, at dusk. Qingshui Village was wreathed in curling wisps of kitchen smoke.

Beneath the locust tree not far from the Wang family's front door, a few mischievous children were romping and chasing a yellow dog.

A dusty mule cart creaked as it turned into the village lane, coming to a halt right outside the Wang family's small courtyard.

The driver was an unfamiliar, dark-faced man covered in dust. He leaped down from the cart shaft and brushed the grime from his clothes.

"Old brother, let me ask, is this the home of Wang Jinbao?" the man asked in a ringing voice.

Wang Erniu, who was in the courtyard splitting firewood, straightened up and cautiously eyed the newcomer: "It is. Who are you looking for? Wang Jinbao is my father."

The man grinned, revealing smoke-stained yellow teeth, and drew an envelope from his bosom:

"An expedited letter from the prefectural city! For Master Wang Jinbao! Sent via the Fair Wind Courier Agency, keep it safe!"

He thrust the envelope into the stunned hands of Wang Erniu, leaped back onto the mule cart, cracked his whip, and shouted, "Hyah!" The mule cart creaked away once more, leaving Wang Erniu clutching the letter, dazed in the gathering twilight.

"Father! Mother! Quick! A letter from the prefectural city! It's urgent!" Wang Erniu snapped back to his senses, raising the letter high as he sprinted toward the main room, his voice cracking entirely.

A single stone stirred a thousand ripples.