Mr. wang and his servant, Mr. Lan, are waiting for peizhi, a poor scholar, who has been invited to take an exam to become a member of the ruling elite. . , the servant, tells Mr. Lin to stop being so emotional and to listen to the poor man. He says that he is honored to be asked to take the exam, but he is afraid that if he does not take it, his family will be devastated. Mr. Gan tells the young man that he should not be so emotional, as he is an official, and that he can do nothing to upset the family. The young man, however, is not so sure. He tells the servant that he has been starving for the whole day, and when he finally gets up, he finds that his eyes have opened and he has frostbite on his hands and feet. He tries to study, but the doctor tells him that he will not be able to do so because the exam is so important. Worried about his life, he takes poison from the old man's vial.