short series

An Old Exam Taker's Quest for the Top Scholar

share time: 2025-12-30 06:01:20

Zhou Fusheng, 50, is the town's notorious "old Tong Sheng"—he's failed the provincial exam 19 times. His wife resents him for draining the family's savings, his son thinks he's a humiliation, and even his grandson tugs his sleeve to ask, "Why can't grandpa pass?" But he always keeps a cracked inkstone by his bed—it's what his late mentor gave him on his deathbed, saying, "Your writing has the warmth of a living soul; you should write in the Golden Luan Palace." This year, his 20th attempt, he secretly sells the family's old ox to fund his trip. At the exam gate, he meets his mentor's grandson—now the chief examiner. The young man stares at the cracked inkstone and suddenly bows: "My grandpa waited 20 years for your journey."

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