Chapter 63: The Broken Mold

That malicious patrol had not been mistaken—Wang Ge was indeed smiling. She had already crafted nineteen implements, reaching the level of a mid-tier artisan. From now on, she could not only work in workshops appointed by the authorities but, if hired by other workshops, she would earn twice as much per piece as a lower-tier craftsman. Was there any reason not to be delighted?

At this point, to dwell further on the rules of the artisan examination—how could she dare to complain? In truth, the more stringent the exam system, the fairer it was for those from humble backgrounds who were accustomed to hardship and toil. She fully grasped the true intent of the craftsmen’s exam; it offered the time and opportunity to challenge the very limits of one’s craft, but whether one could persist with tenacity depended on oneself.

If one detested the rules, one could simply withdraw halfway, acknowledging a lack of skill.

Having thought it through, Wang Ge continued to work on the twentieth mold.

This mold was a set of bamboo counting rods. At first glance, she thought someone had simply piled materials onto the workbench. There were a hundred upright cylindrical bamboo rods, each six inches long and two-tenths of an inch in diameter. A single rod was easy to make, but the challenge lay in the quantity—if even one was made incorrectly, all the effort would be wasted.

The materials provided for the counting rod mold were three sections of bamboo. She first sawed each bamboo tube in half, producing six segments, each slightly more than seven inches long.

She then split them repeatedly. Once they became thin bamboo strips, she scraped off the green layer, discarding the yellow, and used a rounded scraper to polish the green strips. Imitating counting rods could not be rushed; the diameters of the cross-sections had to be made uniform before the lengths could be standardized.

As she busied herself, Wang Ge wondered how the examiners would check the counting rods. Surely they wouldn’t measure each rod one by one?

Bang! The candidate in front of her collapsed sideways in a faint, accompanied by the humiliating sound of diarrhea.

Those nearby, including Wang Ge, heard it all clearly. Two patrols came over, lifted the unconscious young woman onto a wheelbarrow, and wheeled her away, leaving a trail of odor behind.

Soon after, someone among the female apprentices began to sob, and quickly, this sense of empathetic grief and fear rippled outward, with sobs rising and falling throughout the ranks. Who could say that the humiliation that had just befallen that girl would not soon fall upon them?

If such disgraceful news reached their hometowns, what would they do? Would they still dare to face anyone? Which was more important—their reputation or their artisan rank?

Such scenes of collective weeping among the female apprentices occurred every year; the examiners, assistants, and patrols were all accustomed to it. It was true that young men were generally stronger and less sensitive to shame than young women.

Examiner Shi stepped to the front and called out loudly, “Why are you crying? All your faces are covered with veils—what is there to fear? If you don’t remove them after leaving, who will know who you are? Besides, the truly shameful ones are those whose skills are lacking! Those who can’t endure a day and night, who dare not persist—those are the cowards! When you leave this field, if anyone mocks you, tell those cowards that these soiled clothes you wear are the cast-off cocoons of butterflies! Without breaking the cocoon, how can you become a butterfly?”

A young male candidate, moved, stood up and shouted toward the women, “Sir is right! Without breaking the cocoon, how can you become a butterfly!”

Examiner Shi flicked his sleeve. “Hmph! Making a racket—throw him out!”

As evening approached, the mood of the female apprentices gradually calmed.

Thunderclouds gathered, and with the rumble of thunder, the parched candidates lifted their faces, hoping for rain to come quickly.

Over by the Carp Stone, the assistants finally arrived, panting, ahead of the chief examiner. Examiner Gu, puzzled, took the bamboo slip, unrolled it...

Examiner He, noticing the shifting expressions and deepening frown on Gu’s face, leaned over for a look.

Ah! As soon as Examiner He saw the contents, he felt as if a boulder had struck his chest. There were actually two ways to be admitted as a top-tier artisan: one, as everyone knew, was to craft more than fifty implements; the other was that, upon reaching the Carp Stone, if the candidate passed the chief examiner’s test, they would also be admitted!

It turned out that once the county government appointed the chief examiner for the artisan exam, the Bureau of Works would send him a sealed document. Only when a candidate reached the Carp Stone could the seal be broken. Each year, each county, and each major category of artisan exam had a different document; if the seal was broken without a candidate arriving, the chief examiner’s entire clan would be punished.

This year’s task was for the chief examiner to use bamboo to make a mold, for the candidate to imitate. If, before reaching the Carp Stone, the candidate had completed nine implements, they would be admitted as top-tier; if fewer than nine, as mid-tier.

Most crucially, once a top-tier artisan emerged, the Carp Stone would no longer be used for future exams. To compete for the title of top-tier artisan, one would have to make more than fifty pieces!

Examiner Gu was beside himself, his mouth half open. “Brother He, I... back then, I was... just half the distance short... If only I had known about this rule...” He thumped his chest twice in frustration. He was suffocating from regret.

Examiner Liu asked, “What is it? Why are you two so beside yourselves? Hm...” He took the bamboo slip, and the longer he read, the more his nostrils flared; the right corner of his mouth twitched upward, the left downward. If Examiner Shi hadn’t snatched the slip away, Liu would have had a stroke from sheer indignation.

Examiner Shi, after reading the whole truth, felt his vision go black, and was only saved from collapsing by Examiner Liu’s support. The two elderly examiners steadied each other and, once seated, Shi said, “For a top-tier artisan to emerge in the Duoyi County exam is an honor for us both. The urgent matter now is to meet the chief examiner and ask whether we should report this to Magistrate Huan immediately. Also, with the Carp Stone no longer used, how should it be dealt with? Should the ranking notice for the top-tier artisan be posted like the others? Should candidate Wang Ge continue crafting, or should she be allowed to leave early?”

Bang!

A thunderclap resounded, startling all.

Examiner Shi instructed Gu to tell the assistants to let the candidates shelter under the equipment shed and continue working. When Gu returned, he was followed by the chief examiner, Master Yao, who had just arrived.

Clearly, Examiner Gu had already explained all the matters in question to the chief examiner.

Master Yao, his clothing soaked by rain, removed his bamboo hat and said, “This morning, I already sent a messenger to the county seat. All the matters you’ve raised must await Magistrate Huan’s instructions. As for candidate Wang Ge—I observed her just now; she is diligent in her craft and clearly able to persevere. She has a resolute nature, quite extraordinary. Let us not disturb her.”

Another peal of thunder, and the rain poured down.

None of the examiners could have foreseen that, just as they decided not to disturb Wang Ge, she would be forced to leave the field.

Moments earlier, when the assistants gave the word, the candidates hurried to pack up their implements and tools. Wang Ge placed her molds and materials into a basket, planning to sort them later. Suddenly, she was knocked from behind—the apprentice behind her had lost her footing. Wang Ge fell to the ground, while the other girl landed right atop Wang Ge’s basket.

In an instant, the mold and bamboo rods were scattered and fouled by muddy rainwater.

The girl’s hand was cut and bleeding, and she stammered in fright, “I bumped into you, I didn’t mean to...”

But apologies were useless! Wang Ge crawled over, unable to accept this disaster. That set of molds had cost her much time, but she was certain she could have finished them. Now, everything was filthy, completely ruined!

“Disturbance without cause—leave at once!” barked the nearest patrol, hauling the girl away.

Wang Ge recognized him instantly—the same contemptible wretch who had tried to have her thrown out the day before! How could it be so coincidental? Could it be...

Just as she was speculating, she heard the girl struggling and sobbing, trying to explain, “It was my fault, I lost my balance, but truly, I didn’t mean...”

In her anger, Wang Ge snapped a bamboo rod in two. There would be no chance to face her accuser now; the girl’s outcry had meant she bore all the blame.

How bitterly unfair! All her perseverance now seemed meaningless and wasted. Drenched by the rain, Wang Ge gathered all the bamboo rods back into the basket and, unwilling to give in, carried it over to the assistants, but they only replied coldly, “Mold destroyed—leave immediately!”

Counting rods: Ancient calculating tools, typically made of bamboo; historical records state that 271 rods constitute a “handful.”

(End of chapter)