Winter had come.
The weather grew colder by the day.
Every morning when Xiao Mo woke, he could see a thin layer of frost coating the tree branches outside.
For some time now, Xiao Mo had spent every day reading.
He read from dawn till dusk, slept, and then woke up to read some more.
'I don't think I even studied this hard for the college entrance exams in my past life,' Xiao Mo thought.
As for his daily living expenses and the cost of ink, brushes, and paper, the silver taels Xiao Mo had saved up were just barely enough.
The village chief also sent over some food every day, saving Xiao Mo the time and expense of cooking.
One morning, Xiao Mo awoke early, feeling it was much colder than the days before.
He got dressed and went outside to wash up.
The moment he opened the door, Xiao Mo saw a world draped in silver. Goose-feather snow drifted slowly from the sky, and a cold wind made him shiver uncontrollably.
"Brother Xiao... I've brought you food..."
A little girl's voice came from outside the courtyard.
The little girl was chubby and ran over, hugging a food box.
"Xiao Ying, thank you."
Xiao Mo took the food box and patted her on the head.
The little girl who brought the food was the village chief's second daughter—Wang Ying.
Originally, the village chief had wanted his eldest daughter, Wang Yan, to bring Xiao Mo his meals.
But four years had passed, and Wang Yan had grown from a nine-year-old girl into a young lady in the bloom of her youth, her figure beginning to develop.
To avoid any impropriety, Aunt Chen had the three-year-old Wang Ying bring the food instead.
Besides, everyone in the village knew each other, and their homes weren't far apart, so there was no danger.
Still, Xiao Mo had been quite surprised three years ago when he learned Aunt Chen was pregnant again. 'The village chief is truly vigorous for his age,' he thought.
Xiao Mo took out a steamed bun and handed it to Wang Ying. The chubby little girl didn't stand on ceremony, accepting the big bun from her "big brother." The two of them, one big and one small, sat on a rock, taking bites of their food.
"Brother Xiao, I've noticed that when you eat, you always look at that mountain. Is there something on it?" Wang Ying asked curiously, tilting her round head up.
"On that mountain..." Xiao Mo raised his head, gazing at the distant, gray peak covered in thick white snow. "There's someone waiting for Brother Xiao."
...
"Sister, eat some more."
"Xiao Qing, I can't eat another bite."
"Just one more!"
"I've already eaten so many mice..."
"Sister, just a little more."
"I really can't eat anymore..."
In the cave, Xiao Qing dropped two dead mice in front of her sister.
The two snakes, one white and one green, had round, bulging bellies. They both looked like they had gained some weight.
Ordinary snakes would have already begun hibernating.
However, once the Snake Race awakened their intelligence and embarked on the Path of Cultivation, their hibernation period would shorten. The higher their Realm, the shorter the hibernation.
Even so, Xiao Qing had started to feel drowsy three days ago.
But Xiao Qing was worried about her sister and was forcing herself to stay awake.
"Xiao Qing, you should go to sleep. I'll be fine, really," Xiao Bai coaxed, watching her little sister's head droop with sleepiness.
Xiao Qing shook her head forcefully. "But Sister, how can I not worry? What kind of snake molts in the winter?"
At this moment, Bai Ruxue's clear, vertical pupils were clouded as if behind frosted glass. The edges of the white scales on her belly were curling up, like the cracked earth of a dry riverbed.
Fine cracks appeared on the scales of her snout, like a parched clay pot, and a transparent mucus coated her entire body, giving it a waxy sheen.
"It's fine. Your sister is a snake who can take human form, not like ordinary snakes."
"But Sister..."
"No 'buts.' Hurry up and sleep, or I'll get angry," Xiao Bai said, feigning annoyance.
"I won't..."
BONK!
While Xiao Qing was stubbornly refusing to sleep, Xiao Bai's tail secretly coiled around a rock. Then, when her sister wasn't looking, she bonked her from behind.
Xiao Qing's eyes spun, and with a THUD, she collapsed.
"See you in the spring, Xiao Qing."
Xiao Bai's tail tip stroked Xiao Qing's head. She then lay down beside her sister, her own head facing the cave entrance.
'What is he doing right now?'
'He's probably still studying...'
Gazing at the heavy snow outside the cave, Xiao Bai's thoughts began to drift as sleepiness washed over her.
'I haven't seen him in so long...'
'Will he forget me?'
Xiao Bai coiled her body into a ball.
'After I molt, will I get bigger?'
'I think so, right?'
'What kind of expression will he have when he sees me all grown up?'
'Will I be as tall as him?'
As the sleepiness grew heavier, the White Snake's last thought snapped like a kite string. She lost consciousness completely, sinking into a deep sleep.
Inside the cave, the two snakes lay snuggled tightly together.
Outside, the great snow swept through the forest.
An unknown amount of time passed, and the wind and snow gradually subsided.
Until the skies cleared.
...
Come spring.
On this day, Xiao Mo was to travel to Qingshan County to take his exam.
The country Xiao Mo lived in was called the Qi Kingdom.
The Child Scholar examination in the Qi Kingdom was different from those in ancient Huaxia.
In the Qi Kingdom, the Child Scholar exam could be taken annually. It consisted of three rounds held over one month, but all three rounds took place in the same location.
This was done to lessen the burden on the candidates, who didn't need to travel back and forth between the county and the State Capital.
Passing the first two rounds made one a Child Scholar.
Those who passed all three rounds became a Scholar.
If one failed to become a Scholar, they could try again the following year without having to retake the first two rounds.
Becoming a Scholar meant one had attained a certain status.
A Scholar in the Qi Kingdom could meet an official without kneeling, was exempt from corvée labor and torture, could open a private school, and could write documents for others, but they were not exempt from land taxes.
Moreover, because the number of Scholars in the Qi Kingdom was increasing, jobs like teaching in private schools and writing documents had become very competitive.
Nowadays in the Qi Kingdom, there were many poor Scholars, like the village chief, for instance...
"Village Chief, I'm off," Xiao Mo said at the village entrance, bidding farewell to the chief and his family.
"Take this for your travels." The village chief stepped forward and handed a bundle to Xiao Mo.
Aunt Chen huffed and turned her head away, but she didn't say anything.
The village chief ignored his wife and instructed Xiao Mo, "Do well on the exam. Don't feel too much pressure. With your talent, you should be able to pass. We'll be waiting for your good news."
"Yes, sir." Xiao Mo bowed deeply to the village chief's family, then turned and walked away.
This year, the Child Scholar exam was being held in Qingshan County. Fortunately, it wasn't far from Shiqiao Village—only a day's journey.
After arriving in Qingshan County, Xiao Mo got a good night's sleep.
Two days later, Xiao Mo took the exam.
There was no age limit for the Child Scholar exam.
There were children as young as eight or nine, as well as old men in their fifties and sixties...
These old men had been taking the exam for so many years, yet they were still just "Child Scholars"...
The competition was this fierce for the Child Scholar exam alone, to say nothing of the provincial and metropolitan examinations that followed.
'One of the missions from the Hundred Generations Book is to "become a court official." This really isn't going to be easy...'
'Am I going to spend my whole life taking exams and never become an official?' Xiao Mo wondered.