Chapter 11 - The Cannon Fodder Little Fulang [Quick Transmigration]

Translator's Note:

Hello, I hope you've all been doing well.

Here you go, and I wish you a good read.

And, as I said before, if you wish to read ahead, you can head over to my Patreon to get early access to all the translated chapters.

The following day, eager to leave on time, Wu Bai woke before dawn, just as he had when he went to town previously.

 

He quickly tidied himself, then grabbed a bundle from his room with a change of clothes inside.

 

Heading to the left side of the courtyard where the carriage had been parked overnight, he climbed aboard and carefully stowed his bundle in a safe spot.

 

Just as he finished, the village head and Wu Kang'an arrived with their own bundles. Standing on the carriage step, he took those bundles from them and stored them securely.

 

Once everyone was ready, the village head took his seat at the reins and drove the carriage away.

 

As the carriage rolled further and further down the road, disappearing from view, the rest of the Wu family finally turned back inside.

 

Inside, the Wu Erfulang entered his room and soon emerged with his own bundle in hand.

 

Seeing this, Wu fulang asked, "Where are you planning to go?"

 

For something as noble as praying for his husband's success, Wu Erfulang felt no need to hide it. He truthfully explained his intentions, confident it would only endear him further to his mother-in-law.

 

Sure enough, when Wu fulang learned that he planned to return to his village to pray on behalf of his son, he agreed immediately, even preparing an additional gift for him to take back to his family.

 

Remembering that he should be fair, Wu fulang also called for his elder son and his fulang, suggesting that his eldest, too, take his fulang to visit their in-law's family home, as it had been some time since they last did.

 

As Darfulang's* family also lived in the same village—albeit on opposite ends, with the Wu family on the east and his on the west—he didn't visit often. While he occasionally saw them around the village, he rarely went home, as the Wu family had treated him well. He didn't want to spark misunderstandings among neighbors who might think he was returning home because of troubles with his in-laws. Now, with Wu fulang suggesting he go, he was infinitely pleased.

 

[T/N: Darfulang (大儿夫郎) - The Eldest son's fulang.]

 

With their bundles packed and gifts in hand, the two spouses set off together.

 

Since Darfulang's family home was nearby, they didn't need to stay overnight. They spent the day there, sharing lunch, catching up with their parents, and chatting with their siblings before making their way back in the glow of the afternoon sun. After all, with Father Wu away, Wu fulang was alone at home, and they were concerned about his safety.

 

Meanwhile, at Erfulang's family home, his relatives were moved to hear that he had returned specifically to pray for his husband's success in the exams. They were astonished that he was now heading to the provincial capital for the xiucai exam. Originally, they had agreed to the marriage mainly because the Wu family was well-off, believing their son would live comfortably without facing hardship. To their surprise, this match had turned out to be an unexpected blessing—they might soon have a xiucai for a son-in-law. They silently congratulated themselves on their foresight.

 

…

 

In town, Father Wu arrived at the academy gate with the carriage. He had assumed their family might be the only one accompanying a scholar to the capital, but upon arrival, he saw that several other students had also brought family members along.

 

Not every student was accompanied by a parent; some had siblings, others were with family servants, and a few even had their fulangs along.

 

Seeing this, Father Wu's nervousness dissipated entirely.

 

Cheerfully, he greeted the teachers first, then engaged in conversation with the other families.

 

They were not the last to arrive—two more groups joined shortly afterward.

 

Finally, one of the teachers announced that all students were present and advised everyone to double-check their exam qualifications and household registration documents.

 

Having already passed the county exam, these young men knew the essentials to bring, so the teacher didn't belabor the point. He simply reminded them to ensure they had everything required.

 

The teachers, experienced in guiding numerous cohorts, knew that some students could be quite forgetful. Once, after they had traveled to the provincial capital, one student only realized the night before the exam that he'd forgotten his registration papers.

 

At first, he frantically searched his bundle, only to come up empty-handed. As the exam drew nearer, he became distraught, causing an uproar in the inn late into the night, refusing to let others sleep in hopes of disrupting everyone's performance. Convinced that someone had sabotaged him by stealing his papers, he angrily accused others of foul play.

 

Seeing that this behavior could ruin everyone's exam preparation, the teachers eventually had to restrain the student, binding him and gagging him to prevent further disruptions.

 

The next day, after the other students had entered the examination hall, the forgetful student's father finally arrived with his registration papers. It turned out the student had left them in his study. His family, not used to entering his study without permission, had only discovered the papers while cleaning the room. Despite his father's haste, he arrived too late—the exam hall doors had already closed.

 

The student, realizing his own carelessness had led to this outcome, sincerely apologized to the teachers and later to the other students after they completed their exams.

 

This incident had taught the teachers a valuable lesson. Now, before any journey to the capital, they insisted each student thoroughly check their belongings, giving them a chance to retrieve anything forgotten while still close to home. After all, if someone had to return after reaching the provincial capital, the time lost would be considerable.

 

Thanks to these reminders, every student double-checked their items, and, to their relief, none had forgotten anything.

 

With everyone accounted for, the teachers climbed into their carriage, and the group set off for the capital.

 

At first, Wu Kang'an rode in his family's carriage, lifting the curtain now and then to enjoy the passing scenery. He would occasionally discuss the views with Wu Bai.

 

After two days on the road, everyone had become more familiar, and Wu Bai began chatting with two newly acquainted fulangs from other families.

 

Soon, students and their family members started visiting each other's carriages. Wu Kang'an joined his classmates in their carriages, where they talked about the upcoming exam, exchanging thoughts and tips.

 

Meanwhile, Wu Bai stayed behind, conversing with one of the classmate's fulangs in the Wu family's carriage about embroidery and similar topics. After all, they couldn't ignore a guest, so he chose subjects the visitor might find engaging.

 

The atmosphere was warm and lively, with laughter and cheerful chatter filling the carriages.

 

Only in the teachers' carriage did the sound of laughter not reach. Having traveled this road countless times, the teachers knew how rare such carefree joy was. They also knew that on the journey back, the mood would likely be much different.

 

Still, they didn't dampen the students' spirits. They chose not to remind them of the challenges ahead—let them enjoy these happy moments while they could.

 

In the blink of an eye, the group arrived at the provincial capital. However, they didn't enter the city immediately. They lined up outside the gates, waiting to be checked by the guards, who verified each person's identity before allowing them through.

 

Though they had reached the city gates in the morning, exam season brought many travelers to the provincial capital. The queue stretched far beyond the gates, and there was little choice but to wait their turn.

 

It was well into the afternoon by the time the entire group passed through the gates and entered the city.

 

Thanks to the foresight of their teachers, who had prearranged lodging with a familiar inn, no one in the group expressed any desire to find separate lodgings. They all followed the teachers' lead.

 

The provincial capital was much livelier than Nanping Town. Even on a non-market day, the streets were crowded, and with the upcoming prefectural exams, the bustle was even greater.

 

After weaving through the crowd, they finally arrived at a quiet courtyard. Waiting at the entrance was an inn servant, who smiled warmly and greeted them, "Welcome, honored teachers and guests. We've been expecting you."

 

One of the teachers nodded in satisfaction. "Thank you. We've all arrived. Please hand me the keys, and I'll settle the payment later when I visit your innkeeper."

 

The servant, understanding, handed over a set of keys and departed.

 

The teacher skillfully unlocked the gate and distributed keys to everyone once they were inside. He instructed them to settle in, then come out to contribute their share for the room fees, which he would take to the inn later.

 

Everyone readily agreed.

 

The Wu family took two keys, selecting adjacent rooms. Wu Bai had one to himself, while Father Wu and Wu Kang'an shared the other, which was slightly larger and spacious enough for two. Wu Bai's room was a bit smaller but perfectly suited for one.

 

As evening approached, everyone wondered how to handle dinner. The teacher returned with the inn servant, who explained that although the room fees were settled, each guest's meal was not covered. That servant had come to take a headcount of those who preferred to have their meals delivered by the inn.

 

Of course, guests had the option to buy their own groceries from the local market and cook in the courtyard kitchen if they didn't want to order from the inn. However, this was often too much trouble for some. The inn wisely offered the convenience of delivering meals, but only for those willing to pay — they were, after all, running a business and couldn't afford to cover everyone's meals for free.

 

Since it was their first day and no one knew their way around yet, not even the location of the nearest market, and given that the sky would soon darken, everyone opted to have dinner delivered by the inn.

 

Beaming with joy as he collected the meal payments, the servant thanked them profusely and left to arrange their dinner.

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