To Be the Male Lead's Deceased First Wife in a Historical Chinese Exam-focused Novel - Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Wen Ying, Sure to Win!

Wen Ying stared blankly at the book Yan An held out to her. Although the cover looked old, it was clear that the owner cherished it.

In the past, except for cleaning, Yan An didn’t allow her to enter this room at will. She wasn’t even allowed to touch the books, and Yan An would personally dust the bookshelves herself.

But now… this person was handing it to her.

For a moment, she was so choked up that she couldn’t say a word. Her eyes were fixed on the book, unable to look away.

Although she couldn’t read the characters on the book, the writing held a great fascination for her.

Few people would not yearn to be able to read and write.

“What do you mean?” After an unknown amount of time, Wen Ying finally found her voice.

She had once longed to study, but she knew very well that she was a girl. Compared to boys, what she could obtain was naturally much, much less.

Although women could also go to school, learn to read and write, and even take the imperial exams to become officials, very few families were willing to let their daughters study. Not to mention the high cost of studying. Even if a boy couldn’t study, they would never send a girl.

At least, as far as Wen Ying knew, the number of girls sent to school in the entire Heyun County was less than ten. Compared to the number of boys, it was pitifully small.

“It’s for you. From now on, you’ll be the one to study. I’ll find a way to support the family,” Yan An said with a face full of sincerity. Although she also wanted to make a name for herself, she was very clear about the reality. Without a golden finger, it was unrealistic for her to go from being illiterate to participating in the imperial exams and surpassing decades of hard study in just a few years.

Wen Ying fell silent at her words.

For a moment, the room was so quiet it was unsettling. Yan An looked at Wen Ying in confusion. She didn’t understand why she was reacting this way. Shouldn’t she be happy to have the chance to study?

In the novel, when Wen Ying saw the books in the room, it sparked her determination to create a different life for herself. Why was she so calm?

Give me some feedback! Yan An felt a little anxious.

“Why? Are you not taking the exams anymore?” Wen Ying asked, her eyes fixed on Yan An’s, as if she wanted to see if she was being insincere in any way.

“I… I want to, but you know I have amnesia now. It won’t be easy to pick it up again,” Yan An said with a bitter expression. And even if she did know the characters, she might not be able to adapt to this society and become the kind of talent needed for the imperial exams.

“Then why do you want me to study?” Wen Ying’s hands, hanging at her sides, clenched tightly. The family’s situation was already like this. Yan An had never given up on studying and taking the exams even when they were so poor, let alone now, when she was giving up such a precious opportunity.

“To be precise, I want you to take the imperial exams,” Yan An said with a serious face. When Wen Ying looked at her in shock, she cleared her throat, and a hint of embarrassment appeared on her face.

“You know the family’s situation better than I do. If we just rely on working in the fields like this, we might not be able to eat our fill for the rest of our lives. Studying and taking the imperial exams is the most viable path.” And it was the most legitimate one, too.

“But it’s also the most risky,” Wen Ying said, not letting Yan An’s words cloud her judgment. Throughout history, how many scholars aimed for success in the imperial exams? But how many of them actually succeeded? It was a chase for a fleeting possibility that could last a lifetime.

“I know, but I believe in you!” Yan An said with certainty. This was the female protagonist! The one who would eventually become a powerful official and create a prosperous era with the Ninth Princess who would ascend the throne!

Hearing the trust in Yan An’s voice, without a hint of falsehood, Wen Ying lowered her gaze, looking at the ground in front of her. She slowly spoke a few words.

“Why do you trust me so much?”

This person had only been awake for two days since her memory loss. In these two days, she couldn’t even give her anything good to eat and had to make her work in the fields with her. Why would she believe in such a useless person?

“Because you’re Wen Ying!” Yan An replied with a righteous tone.

Wen Ying looked up, a puzzled and confused expression on her face.

Yan An cleared her throat, knowing it was better not to explain too much. She could only say, “Look, your name is Wen Ying. What is Wen Ying? It’s ‘wen ying’—sure to win! So you will definitely pass!”

Wen Ying’s eyes suddenly became calm again.

Seeing her like this, Yan An felt even more embarrassed. She felt that her words might have put too much pressure on her, so she quickly added, “Even if we take a step back, it’s okay if you don’t pass. By then, you’ll be able to read and write, and that will help you a lot!”

In this era, being able to read and write would give her many more opportunities than others. That was an excellent thing!

Wen Ying pursed her lips and didn’t say anything. She still couldn’t understand Yan An’s thoughts. After all, studying was not a simple matter. Even families in the village who were relatively well-off were very cautious about sending their children to school, let alone their current situation…

“Actually… I have a selfish motive, too,” Yan An said, rubbing the book with her thumb, a little embarrassed. “I really don’t want to farm. If you can pass the juren exam, our lives will get much better, so I want you to bring me a good life…”

As she spoke, she felt she couldn’t continue. The more she talked, the more she sounded like a gigolo, and her pretty-boy appearance made it even more fitting.

Wen Ying: “…”

“You have amnesia now. How many characters in that book do you recognize? If you don’t recognize them, then we can’t afford the tuition for me to learn to read.”

They had to go out and pick wild vegetables to eat now. How could they have any extra money for her to attend a private school?

Hearing her words, Yan An suddenly fell silent. She glanced at Wen Ying from time to time. She was silent for a long time, so long that Wen Ying thought she was about to give up on the idea. Then, Yan An suddenly said, “Is there a teacher in the village?”

In ancient times, being able to read and write was not easy. Not to mention that Wen Ying’s xiucai wife had died early. It should have been impossible for her to learn to read and write. But coincidentally, Wen Ying had once saved the village’s teacher, and it was through the other party’s guidance that she officially began her journey on the path of the imperial exams.

Wen Ying suddenly fell silent as well. This time, she was quiet for an even longer time than Yan An had been, so long that Yan An finally couldn’t wait any longer. She put the book down, cleared her throat, and said, “Is breakfast ready? How about we talk while we eat?”

Wen Ying silently nodded and walked in front of her. Her mind, however, was in turmoil. Was Yan An really not remembering anything? How did she know there was a teacher in the village?

Come to think of it, Wen Ying did have a little history with that teacher.

Wen Ying had once saved Yi Shuhua, the teacher in the village, from falling off a cliff. Yi Shuhua was naturally very grateful for being saved. But Wen Ying didn’t get too entangled with her. After saving her, she just left. After that, Yi Shuhua tried to thank her many times, but she avoided her whenever she could.

This was because she knew very well that Yan An didn’t like Yi Shuhua. If she got too close to someone Yan An disliked, Yan An would probably despise her even more.

Yan An ate the wild vegetables in her bowl, feeling like her face was about to turn as green as the soup. Ever since she had transmigrated, she hadn’t had a proper meal, and now she couldn’t even eat rice!

She was so poor that she felt like crying in her heart.

“There is a teacher in the village,” Wen Ying suddenly said.

Yan An, who had been trying to comfort herself while eating the wild vegetables, suddenly looked up at her, her eyes brightening. “Can she teach you? If she needs tuition, can we owe her and pay her back with interest later when we have money?”

Yan An, who had read the novel, naturally knew the general situation. That Yi Shuhua was also a xiucai. She had been invited by the Li family in South Cliff Village to teach the children of their clan. Children from other families in the village could also be sent to the Li family’s school, but the fees were not low. Especially for the children of the Yan clan, the fees were ten percent higher than for others.

There was nothing they could do. The largest surname in South Cliff Village was Li, followed by Yan. In the early years, the Yan and Li families had a dispute over some land issues. After all these years, things hadn’t gotten much better, so it was impossible for the Yan family to have the same treatment as others.

Wen Ying didn’t answer Yan An’s question immediately. She only said, “If I start studying, a portion of my energy will be devoted to it. I won’t be able to take care of the other things in the family.”

Given the current situation, if Wen Ying didn’t manage the household, relying solely on Yan An, they would both starve and end up in coffins.

Oh, wait, coffins also cost money. They would probably just be wrapped in straw mats and buried.

“I know,” Yan An said, picking at the vegetable leaves in her bowl. She glanced at Wen Ying’s bowl, which contained mostly stalks, and suddenly felt a little bad.

“But studying is a way out for our family. I will also try to find a job in the county town to do. I won’t let us both starve to death.”

Yan An also understood that what she was saying might seem like a fantasy to Wen Ying, but what else could she do? If she wanted to survive, she had to find a way out. For her, farming was too hard and not very cost-effective, so she could only go to the county town and look for opportunities.

“In the past, you could have found a good job in the county town,” Wen Ying said calmly.

Yan An didn’t understand her words at first, but then it dawned on her.

“…”

If she understood correctly, Wen Ying was being sarcastic and implying that she was an illiterate now!