As they chatted, the topic somehow drifted to how crowded Capital City had become recently. Many out-of-town scholars preparing for next year's Imperial Examination had already arrived in the capital before the new year.
Speaking of this, Chen Wanqing voiced a question that had been on her mind for a while. "Those scholars shouldn't all be from immensely wealthy families, right?"
Yet, it was a well-known fact that living in Capital City was far from easy. The students' travel expenses were already substantial, and food, lodging, and socializing in Capital City required even more money. Could their families really afford to support them arriving so early?
Hearing this, Xu Changsi smiled and explained, "Wanqing, you didn't grow up in Capital City, so it's perfectly understandable that you might not know how these things work."
Xu Changsi then went on to explain to Chen Wanqing the various ways scholars made a living in Capital City.
