Chapter 63: Inspection
Chapter 63: Inspection
Bang, bang, bang!
The heavy wooden door was pounded with urgent knocks.
Inside the cabin, Xie Man, who had been dozing under a tattered quilt, was instantly jolted awake. He rubbed his eyes, still groggy, and called out, "I'm coming."
It was mid-Revival Month, and the weather was still quite cold.
Xie Man donned his worn-out clothes, then grabbed the leather coat that doubled as a second quilt and put it on before opening the door.
Outside, Old Roger leaned against a wagon, one hand holding a whip and the other a smoking pipe.
"Hurry up, it's getting late. You don't want to be late and get scolded."
"I know."
Xie Man closed the door behind him, climbed onto the wagon with practiced ease, but his expression showed no urgency.
Roger glanced at him, said nothing, and gave the whip a fierce crack. The old horse let out a low groan and began pulling the wagon slowly forward.
Xie Man leaned against the wagon's railing, gazing at the dark, overcast sky, and closed his eyes to doze off.
From past experience, it would take about half an hour to reach the inner fortress, and by then, dawn would be breaking.
Xie Man was an orphan.
According to Old Roger, he had found Xie Man on a snowy day and, having no children of his own, took him in and raised him.
For years, Old Roger had worked hard, cleaning up the nobles' trash and disposing of it outside the city, to raise Xie Man to the age of twelve.
Xie Man was filled with gratitude for Old Roger.
Though he knew they were not blood-related, in his heart, Old Roger was his father.
Before he knew it, the wagon had entered the inner city.
Habits formed over time had Xie Man automatically waking up.
From a distance, he saw the towering, majestic castle and couldn't help but feel a mix of envy and longing.
That was where the lord and his knights resided.
Xie Man had dreamed countless times of becoming a noble, living in a luxurious castle, and enjoying a life of luxury and privilege.
Or perhaps becoming a powerful knight, earning the lord's favor and becoming his personal guard, thus gaining the right to live in the castle.
To the young boy, the castle was the most beautiful place in the world.
But deep down, he knew that if not for his work, a commoner like him would never set foot in that castle, let alone live there.
When he woke up, the dreams would fade, leaving only the cold, harsh reality.
Old Roger had once told him that after his death, Xie Man would inherit the two wooden cabins and the wagon, and take over the job of cleaning the nobles' trash.
Xie Man thought that was his future.
The wagon stopped at the castle gate, and Xie Man followed Old Roger off the wagon, approaching the towering guards.
In the past, when they entered the castle to clean the trash, the guards and the stewards would always harass them, demanding various favors.
However, since the former lord was hanged and the new lord took residence, a new batch of guards and servants had been brought in, and they no longer faced such harassment.
For this alone, Xie Man had a favorable impression of the new lord, whom he had never met.
Over the past few months, the guards at the gate had become familiar with Old Roger and Xie Man.
When they arrived, the guards simply gave them a quick check and let them pass.
It took the entire morning for Old Roger and Xie Man to efficiently clean up the trash and load it all into the wagon. They were then ready to transport the trash outside the city.
Just as they were about to leave, one of the guards suddenly called out to Xie Man, sizing him up. "Little Xie Man, how old are you this year?"
Xie Man was taken aback but still answered honestly, "Twelve."
"Can you read?"
Xie Man nodded.
Most commoners who toiled for the nobility couldn't read, but Old Roger had once been an apprentice accountant at a shop. Though the shop eventually went bankrupt, he had learned to read and later taught Xie Man.
The guard smiled and said, "That's perfect. The lord recently issued a decree: all boys and girls aged twelve to fifteen who can read, regardless of their background, must go to the testing center for an assessment. You should go there after this."
"Testing? What kind of testing?"
Xie Man was still in a daze, but Old Roger panicked and quickly said, "Sir, Little Xie Man has always worked diligently and has never done anything wrong."
The guard waved his hand and chuckled, "Don't worry, this is a good thing. Sir Su Nan is recruiting apprentices across the entire Shining Domain. Those who pass the test will become his apprentices and receive a gold coin each month as a stipend."
Old Roger and Xie Man were dumbfounded, their eyes wide with shock.
They worked hard for an entire month and earned less than ten silver coins.
But if Xie Man became an apprentice, he would receive a gold coin every month?
Was such a good thing possible?
But then Old Roger grew hesitant.
Could there really be such a windfall in this world?
Wasn't it a trap to lure them into something sinister?
Noticing Old Roger's expression, the guard laughed and scolded, "Sir Su Nan is a legendary wizard, and the decree was issued by the lord. Do you think those two high-ranking officials have nothing better to do than to trick a poor man like you?"
"I wouldn't have bothered to remind you if I didn't think Little Xie Man was a good kid."
Old Roger hurriedly apologized with a forced smile.
Thinking about what the guard said, it made sense. A decree issued by the lord couldn't be a lie.
He thanked the guard and pulled Xie Man back onto the wagon.
On the way back, Old Roger thought for a moment and said to Xie Man, "After we finish the trash run, go home, wash up, change into your best clothes, and head to the testing center."
Xie Man nodded vigorously, his eyes shining with excitement.
If he could become an apprentice to Sir Su Nan, he would receive a gold coin each month. After saving for a year or two, he could move Old Roger to the inner city and open a small shop, never having to wake up early or work late to clean trash again.
Maybe he would even have a chance to live in that castle!
The thought filled Xie Man with overwhelming excitement, and he wished he could fly to the testing center right away.
When they returned from the city, Xie Man sprinted home, washed up, and changed into his best clothes, which were still faded and patched. Then he rushed to the location the guard had mentioned.
The testing center was set up at the boundary between the outer and inner cities.
In front of a temporary wooden shelter, a long queue of boys and girls around Xie Man's age was forming. Many were chatting excitedly, occasionally craning their necks to look at the front of the line.
Xie Man noticed that these children were all dressed neatly, with the worst having at least clean clothes, unlike his own faded and patched outfit.
It made sense; in these times, those who could read usually came from better-off families.
People like him were rare.
"Go to the end of the line and don't wander around."
A nearby soldier noticed Xie Man and called him over.
Xie Man complied and joined the end of the line, waiting quietly.
(End of Chapter)
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