Ch 52: Reborn to Raise My Husband

This batch of vegetables really sold well. When they got home, Xiao Hu handed the heavy bag of copper coins directly to Xiao Yuanbao.

“For me?”

Xiao Yuanbao’s eyes widened.

Xiao Hu smiled. “You’re growing up and you know how to manage money. It’s best that this money is in your hands, whether to save it or spend it on whatever’s needed.”

“The money I earn will end up with you sooner or later—what difference does it make if it’s sooner or later? In the end, you’ll be the one handling family matters.”

“Thank you, Father!”

Xiao Yuanbao didn’t decline, cheerfully agreeing.

His father was famously unpredictable when it came to money—everyone in the family knew that. Giving him large sums to manage wouldn’t be very safe.

But now that he was older, he really did know how to handle household spending. He knew the prices of everyday items and could make purchases on his own.

He felt confident that he could take on the role of little housekeeper.

Pleased as could be, Xiao Yuanbao hugged the heavy bag of coins and headed into the house.

Copper coins were mostly used for buying vegetables—a few here, a dozen there—and they added up quickly.

He cleared a space in his wardrobe and took out a red-lacquered wooden box made of fine jujube wood—the best box he owned, a gift from Xin Ge’er during his first visit to the Ming family.

He found some hemp string and began stringing the coins, one string per one hundred coins.

Stringing copper coins was a tiring chore, but if the coins were earned by your own hands, even doing it all day wouldn’t feel like work. There was nothing more satisfying or worth the patience.

After about half an hour, he counted a total of 4,125 copper coins from their vegetable sales—over four yuan.

And on top of that, the old woman from the day before had placed an order for nearly another yuan worth of vegetables. Once they delivered and got paid, they’d have close to five yuan.

Xiao Yuanbao’s heart was bursting with joy. Carefully calculated, this income was about the same as what an entire mu of land would yield in a year!

He truly experienced the benefits of farming firsthand. But he also understood it was only because this was a drought year, and because Big Brother Tian Ken had cultivated the vegetables so well, that they were able to earn so much.

In a normal year, selling vegetables wouldn’t bring in this kind of money.

Otherwise, farmers would’ve long been living in abundance, and life wouldn’t be as hard as it was.

He couldn’t help but admire his brother’s foresight again. No wonder when Big Brother Tian had overwatered the vegetables and they died, his brother had still encouraged him to keep experimenting with fertilizers.

Now that it had worked out, the rewards were clear.

Xiao Yuanbao carefully placed each string of cheerful copper coins into the box, covered it with a cloth, and tucked it safely back into the wardrobe.

Two days later, with more vegetables harvested from their field, they made the delivery to the old woman’s house.

Tian Ken was in charge of the job, driving the ox cart to her door.

Xiao Yuanbao happened to be going to the Ming residence for a visit, so he hitched a ride into the city with him.

Following the address, they arrived at the old woman’s home—it was indeed a grand household.

She opened the back gate, inspected the vegetables, and saw they were all fresh and of excellent quality. After confirming they were the right weight, she called for the servants to move everything inside.

Seeing how much they had brought, Xiao Yuanbao even gifted them a large winter melon.

The old woman was pleased, had the steward inspect the vegetables, and settled the balance.

She paid with a jiaozhi note worth one yuan, and added twelve extra copper coins—more than the original total.

The steward said their vegetables were high-quality and the extra was a tip.

Xiao Yuanbao let Tian Ken accept it gladly.

“We’ve got your household marked down now. When the vegetables ripen next, we’ll ask if you want more. If so, we’ll deliver to your door first.”

The old woman said, “Just seeing how well your family’s vegetables grow—I’ll definitely want more next time.”

After leaving the alley, Xiao Yuanbao had Tian Ken drop him off at the Ming residence.

He’d brought some fresh vegetables for them too.

The Ming family might be wealthy, but in a drought year like this, there was little anyone could do.

With both city and countryside harvests poor, even common vegetables were appreciated. Though his offering wasn’t worth much, under the current conditions, it was likely to be welcomed.

“Oh my, Bao Ge’er, you’re finally here!”

A maid in pink cross-collar attire heard the noise at the gate, peeked out, and quickly came to greet him when she saw Xiao Yuanbao arriving in the ox cart.

“Our Second Young Master has been waiting for you for ages! He kept urging me to go check how you hadn’t arrived yet.”

Xiao Yuanbao jumped down from the cart. “Sorry to keep you waiting, sister.”

He added, “I picked some vegetables this morning to bring for Xin Ge’er—it held me up a bit.”

Tian Ken quickly uncovered the two baskets of vegetables they’d brought.

They’d picked a little of everything from the field without even realizing it filled two baskets.

The cabbage heads were tightly packed, round, and large—just two or three took up a lot of space.

“Oh my, these vegetables are so green and glossy! How do they grow so well?”

A young gatekeeper also came out when he saw the vegetables. “This year’s crops haven’t grown well. I hear the kitchen staff grumble every time they come back from the market—nothing looks good. But these are excellent!”

The maid gave him a light slap. “You can’t compare our vegetables to those in the market. Look at who grew these—they’re nothing like what you’d find outside.”

The gatekeeper chuckled.

“Bao Ge’er, you’re far too generous,” the maid said. “Our Second Young Master has been complaining about the kitchen’s vegetables not tasting right lately.”

“Hurry, bring it inside, send it to the small kitchen in our Baozhu Pavilion.”

The pageboy said, “Sister, this basket is really heavy. I’ll go fetch another helper.”

The maid glanced at Tian Ken off to the side, and Xiao Yuanbao made the introduction.

Hearing he was a hired worker from the Xiao family, the maid instructed the pageboy, “Go fetch a cup of chilled tea for this brother—delivering vegetables is tiring.”

Xiao Yuanbao followed the maid through the residence. Just as they arrived at the Baozhu Pavilion entrance, Ming Guanxin came out to greet him.

He’d already heard from a servant that Xiao Yuanbao had arrived and brought two baskets of fresh vegetables. He was touched and came out himself to welcome him.

Last time, after Xiao Yuanbao left, his third younger sister had gifted him a servant’s sachet to mock him, which made him furious. It weighed on him with guilt.

He didn’t get along with that sister—just a concubine-born girl who loved to cause trouble and make him unhappy. Xiao Yuanbao had been dragged into it for no good reason.

But he couldn’t lash out about such a thing. That second branch of the family was full of fox-like tricksters, and his father was so entangled with them he barely visited the main residence anymore.

That concubine-born girl was always putting on airs, acting like someone she wasn’t.

So when he saw that Xiao Yuanbao still came to visit, he was delighted and took his hand, leading him inside.

“You! I invited you to come cool off and relax, and you go thinking of me, bringing such fine vegetables!”

“Did your family sprinkle immortal elixir on your fields? Everyone else’s crops are struggling, but yours are thriving.”

Xiao Yuanbao smiled. “It’s nothing like you’re saying. I just thought they looked decent, so I brought you some. As long as you don’t mind they’re just ordinary vegetables, I’m happy.”

“You’ve got me in your thoughts and I’m supposed to complain? What kind of person would I be?”

Once inside, Xiao Yuanbao saw a large round blue-and-white porcelain vat placed in the center of the room, filled with huge chunks of thick, old ice.

The ice was crystal clear, with some already melted into water, and a few jasmine flowers scattered on top.

Outside it was like a furnace, clothes soaked in sweat, sticking to the skin. But in here, it was as cool as autumn—it didn’t even feel like the same season.

Xiao Yuanbao smacked his lips. The life of a wealthy family really didn’t worry about winter’s cold or summer’s heat.

Ming Guanxin said, “I tossed in a handful of dried jasmine earlier, thinking the room would smell nice. But I guess I was silly—it’s too cold for the scent to come out.”

Xiao Yuanbao sat on a stool. “The countryside is still bearable, but coming into your house—it really is like stepping into paradise.”

Ming Guanxin sat beside him and ordered the servants to hurry and bring up the chilled drinks from the kitchen.

He then said to Xiao Yuanbao, “If it weren’t for your brother, we wouldn’t be enjoying all this ice to cool off this year. I’ve been wanting to invite you over to relax, but my father has so many guests I haven’t had a chance.”

Xiao Yuanbao asked, “What does this have to do with my brother?”

“You didn’t know?”

Ming Guanxin explained, “It was your brother who, back in the winter, advised my father to stockpile extra ice. He said a drought year was coming.”

“My father took his advice and stored several times more ice than usual last year.”

As he spoke, Ming Guanxin couldn’t hold back a grin. “And now, it’s come in handy.”

Many other wealthy families, seeing the mild weather last year, didn’t store much ice at all.

Even ice merchants didn’t stock up. When the heat hit after New Year, the ice melted faster than usual, and they didn’t have much left to sell.

Demand was high, supply low—ice became incredibly precious.

This year’s ice prices were insane—one cart could go for dozens of yuan.

“If we hadn’t stored a lot ourselves, we wouldn’t dare to use it every day like this. But my father is thrilled—he’s sold some at a high price and given others as valuable gifts. He’s been bragging about your brother’s foresight. Every time he calls me to dinner in the courtyard, he mentions your brother. He even wanted to thank him, but Fang Jie’er said he went to the prefecture for exams.”

Xiao Yuanbao couldn’t help but smile. He had heard his brother mention wanting to store ice back home. He’d even said it required lots of manpower and resources, and that ordinary families couldn’t afford such a luxury.

He hadn’t realized his brother had given that advice to the Ming family.

“Iced drinks are here!”

Soon, the maid brought over two large trays of drinks—four bowls for each of them.

Placed in front of Xiao Yuanbao was a set of celadon plum-glazed bowls. The color was refreshing and perfect for summer, and the bowls themselves had raised leaf patterns—delicate and beautiful.

“You like nice dishes, so I had someone pick out a good set just for today.”

Ming Guanxin didn’t care much about the bowls himself. He urged Xiao Yuanbao to try the drinks. “Usually I only have one kind of drink, but since you’re here, I had them prepare four. Go on, have a taste.”

Xiao Yuanbao wasn’t very familiar with iced drinks. Looking at the bowls, filled with reds and greens, he only recognized two.

One was chilled mung bean soup, or what countryside folk called green bean water. The other was the trendy “snowy ice yuanzi” sold in cold drink shops. The remaining two he couldn’t quite name.

“Pear nectar and iced lychee syrup.”

Ming Guanxin pointed out the remaining two.

Xiao Yuanbao said, “The snowy ice yuanzi was the only one I could tell at a glance.”

No matter how mung bean water was made, you could always spot the beans, so it was easy to recognize.

But the snowy ice yuanzi that the Ming family served was far more refined and beautiful than what was sold at cold drink stands.

The glutinous yuanzi were in shades of yellow and green, and the round ice was carved to match their shape, topped with osmanthus flowers—all served in exquisite bowls.

Xiao Yuanbao scooped up a yuanzi with a porcelain spoon and took a bite, feeling like even the goddess herself wouldn’t be living better than this.

“In past years, my brother took me once to a cold drink shop, but the taste was nowhere near as good as the ones your kitchen makes.”

“I like to eat it, so the kitchen makes it often, and they’ve gotten better at it.”

The other two drinks were ones Xiao Yuanbao had never tasted before.

Things like lychees were so rare and expensive—how could a farming family like theirs afford such luxuries?

Lychee syrup turned into iced drinks—he’d never even heard of such a thing.

He took a sip. It was sweet, with the ice giving it a refreshing chill—surprisingly delicious.

The pear nectar, he was told, came from a small kind of pear. Among the three sweet drinks, this one had the least sugar, so it wasn’t very sweet—but Xiao Yuanbao actually liked it quite a bit.

“Second Young Master, the two large baskets of vegetables have been properly delivered to the small kitchen.”

The gate boy came over with a slight bow to report to Ming Guanxin.

“Thanks for the effort. Hongcai, give him ten copper coins—weather’s hot, let him get some perilla water to cool off.”

The boy happily bowed again and again in thanks to Ming Guanxin.

Seeing this, Xiao Yuanbao put down the bowl in his hand and, after the servant had left, said, “He’s one of your people, and just helped carry something—yet you gave him that much as a tip?”

“He works in the outer courtyard, and usually runs errands and carries things for me—he’s been dependable. Giving him some loose change encourages him to keep working diligently.”

Ming Guanxin added, “There are a lot of servants in the house. If you don’t give them some sweeteners every now and then, over the years they’ll grow lazy.”

Xiao Yuanbao asked, “But for bondservants who’ve sold themselves, whose food and clothing are provided by the household, do they still get a monthly wage?”

Ming Guanxin laughed. “Oh my dear Bao Ge’er, even if they are bondservants, they’re still people. People need their own spending money. Every month, we still give them their wages, how much depends on experience and skill. Once it’s in their hands, they can go dine out, buy personal trinkets—we don’t interfere.”

“Servants are still people. Just because they rely on their masters doesn’t mean they’re no longer individuals.”

Xiao Yuanbao acknowledged this, feeling like he had just learned something new.

He had always thought that in wealthy households, family-born servants were entirely supported by their masters, even taxes covered, and they didn’t receive pay. Only outside-hired laborers like short-term and long-term workers got wages.

Not long after, a young servant in a green skirt came into the courtyard.

“Second Young Master, the County Magistrate’s daughter, Miss Yun, is visiting. She’s currently in the young lady’s courtyard. She said she brought some fine tea and wanted to send some to Baozhu Pavilion for you to try.”

Ming Guanxin’s brow twitched slightly.

“I have a guest here. Go tell Miss Yun that I’ll invite her another day.”

“Hongcai, go fetch the two new boxes of scented powder I just received and give them to Miss Yun with my apologies.”

But then the servant added, “Miss Yun said she heard there’s a guest in Baozhu Pavilion and thought it’d be nice to enjoy the tea together, liven things up a bit.”

Ming Guanxin thought to himself: if she likes liveliness so much, why does she keep showing up here to freeload ice and cool down? Isn’t it noisy enough at her own house?

But of course, he couldn’t say that aloud.

Miss Yun may just be a concubine-born daughter, but her father was the county magistrate—someone who ran all the affairs in the region.

No matter how wealthy a merchant family was, they still couldn’t afford to offend someone like that.

“In that case, go invite Miss Yun over. It just so happens I’m hosting a guest today, and we have some drinks ready.”

The servant accepted the order and left.

Xiao Yuanbao said, “Since you’ve got important company coming, maybe I should take my leave now. I can come again another time.”

“You’re the one I invited. How could someone uninvited show up and drive you away?”

Ming Guanxin said, “I’ll make a few polite words to her and won’t invite her to stay for the meal. This morning I had deer tendon specially bought—wanted to have you stay and enjoy some pickled stewed deer tendon with me.”

So Xiao Yuanbao gave up the idea of leaving.

Not long after, the two young ladies arrived.

One was Ming Youtang, whom Xiao Yuanbao had met before. She looked especially modest today—wearing a quiet shade of well-water blue and just two silk flowers in her hair.

The other must have been the County Magistrate’s daughter, Miss Yun.

She wore a green silk dress and looked proper enough. Taken alone, she wasn’t unattractive.

But standing next to the naturally beautiful Ming Youtang, even without much adornment, she was immediately outshone.

After a round of greetings, Miss Yun fanned herself gently with a lotus-patterned round fan and took a seat in the highest spot.

“I haven’t visited your pavilion in a while—this place really is so cool and pleasant.”

Ming Guanxin replied politely, “If only you came more often. I wait day after day, month after month, but hardly see you.”

Miss Yun smiled. “I brought you some tea cakes. It’s a gift from one of my father’s colleagues at the prefecture. Let’s see if they suit your taste.”

“You always think of me when you have something good.”

Ming Guanxin had a servant receive the gift.

Xiao Yuanbao knew he wasn’t meant to speak here, so he remained quiet.

He didn’t speak, but someone clearly wanted him to.

Ming Youtang said, “Second Brother, you’re only chatting with Miss Yun—aren’t you going to introduce your guest to us?”

Ming Guanxin didn’t particularly like Ming Youtang. Seeing her smiling like a blooming flower, he suspected she was the one who had encouraged Miss Yun to come over. But he couldn’t argue with her here.

So he said, “Miss Yun, this is my good friend—Xiao Yuanbao.”

He deliberately emphasized “good friend,” clearly asking Miss Yun to show him a bit of courtesy.

Ming Guanxin then turned to Xiao Yuanbao and said, “Bao Ge’er, this is the second young lady of the County Magistrate’s household, Cheng Yunyun.”

Xiao Yuanbao rose and gave her a formal greeting.

Miss Yun fanned herself and received his greeting with poise. Her eyes moved slowly from his feet to his face before she spoke unhurriedly:

“This ger looks quite unfamiliar. Might I ask where your father is employed, and what your family does for a living?”

Xiao Yuanbao replied, “We’re a farming household. My father works the land.”

Miss Yun’s gaze shifted slightly—perhaps she hadn’t expected such a direct and confident answer.

She didn’t respond to him but turned to Ming Guanxin with a smile and said, “It seems your circle of friends has grown even broader these days.”

Ming Guanxin, hearing the veiled implication, replied, “Bao Ge’er is open-hearted and honest. I enjoy befriending such people.”

“Yes, Second Brother has taken quite a liking to this ger—he’s been invited over more than once.”

Ming Youtang added with a smile, “I hear he’s quite capable—skilled in cooking, too.”

“Really? How impressive.”

Miss Yun feigned surprise, though in truth, she’d already heard all about it in Ming Youtang’s courtyard. She’d come today precisely to find some amusement at the expense of a nobody like Xiao Yuanbao.

Xiao Yuanbao answered, “Just a few humble street dishes—nothing worthy of a proper table. Miss Yun is too generous.”

“No wonder you get along well with Second Brother—he’s always been a glutton.”

Ming Youtang said with feigned cheer, “Since today’s such a lively occasion and we have a talented cook at hand—and it’s nearly midday—why not have this ger prepare a couple of dishes for us to try? With Miss Yun here too, wouldn’t it be perfect?”

Ming Guanxin’s brows twitched. “How could a guest be made to cook in someone’s home? Have you forgotten Father’s teachings on propriety, Third Sister?”

“But the ger makes a living with his cooking. If he does a good job, we can give him some extra coin—let him eat well, wear well. He doesn’t look like someone from an easy life. Since he’s your friend, isn’t it only right we take care of him?”

Miss Yun kept fanning herself, letting Ming Youtang do all the talking.

Seeing Ming Guanxin’s face start to darken, she said, “Seems I won’t be getting any food from your pavilion after all—what a pity. In that case, I’ll take my leave.”

“Second Brother, look—you’ve upset Miss Yun now.”

Ming Guanxin held back his temper and said, “I’ll have the kitchen prepare a couple of dishes you like. You’re already here, and it’s so hot outside—no need to storm off over a few words.”

“Lamb and venison are getting old. Haven’t had something different in a while.”

Miss Yun smiled as she spoke, looking meaningfully at Ming Guanxin.

Though Xiao Yuanbao didn’t often mingle in such gatherings, he could tell clearly what was happening.

These two young ladies looked down on him for his lowly birth and were trying to make sport of him.

If they were genuinely asking him to cook as a guest, he wouldn’t mind. He’d be happy to help.

But to invite him over under the pretense of hospitality, then turn around and treat him like a servant, asking him to cook for them—then offering a little “tip” as if it were some great favor? That was just using him.

He wasn’t a servant of the Ming family. And even if Miss Yun was the daughter of an official household, she held no official rank or title herself. He could respect her—but he didn’t owe her servitude.

This, he thought, was what they called “looking down on others with dog eyes.”

No wonder his brother warned him to be wary of Ming Youtang. Today, she’d brought along a girl from an official family just to bully him—mocking him while also using him to needle Ming Guanxin.

Not just for himself—but for Xin Ge’er’s sake—he wouldn’t let it slide.

Xiao Yuanbao smiled politely and said to Ming Youtang, “Many thanks to Third Miss Ming for looking after me and helping me find work. Though my brother has gone to the prefectural capital for the provincial exam, and we’ve tightened our belts a bit at home, we haven’t yet reached the point of going hungry.”

Ming Youtang faltered slightly—perhaps not expecting someone like him to speak back—and after a pause, said:

“I wonder how many times your brother has sat for the exams? For rural families, even a single trip to the city to test must cost quite a bit. Lodging, food—it can’t be easy.”

“What Third Miss says is true. Fortunately, my brother is capable. Didn’t take much effort—he passed and went straight to the prefectural exam his first time out.”

Just as Ming Youtang was about to retort, Miss Yun suddenly cut in:

“Your brother is a scholar? And passed both county and prefectural exams on his first attempt? How old is he?”

Xiao Yuanbao gave her his brother’s age with courtesy.

“Truly talented.”

Hearing that he was only fifteen or sixteen and already a tongsheng, she had to admit—it was comparable to the sons of well-bred scholarly families.

Then she asked, “And what rank did he place in the county and prefectural exams?”

Previously, during a banquet with the Education Commissioner, her father had heard mention of a particularly exceptional student from the recent tongsheng—someone who had placed first in both county and prefectural exams, wrote excellent essays, and was taking the upcoming provincial exam.

Both her father and the commissioner had high hopes for this young man—believed he might very well be the next xiucai.

Though he hadn’t yet reported to the county school, they’d remembered his surname: Qi.

So when she heard Xiao Yuanbao claim his brother was heading to the prefectural exam, first-time tester, of similar age—she grew suspicious.

She hadn’t heard of any standout candidate surnamed Xiao.

Perhaps this ger was just borrowing someone else’s accomplishments to brag.

Xiao Yuanbao answered evenly, “Just lucky, he placed first.”

Miss Yun laughed aloud. “You sure know how to spin a tale. Xin Ge’er said you’re frank and upright.”

“Maybe others don’t know, but I do—this year’s double first-place scholar is surnamed Qi. When did that become Xiao?”

Xiao Yuanbao paused for a moment and didn’t respond right away.

Ming Guanxin immediately caught on and tried hard to hold back his laughter, though some of it still showed in his eyes.

Ming Youtang, unaware, thought Miss Yun had caught Xiao Yuanbao lying and was trying to embarrass Ming Guanxin. She said, “Second Brother, really now, what kind of friends do you keep?”

“Miss Yun, perhaps you didn’t know—Bao Ge’er’s older brother’s surname is Qi.”

Ming Guanxin added, “His brother is a guest invited by my father. It was through Father’s introduction that I got to know Bao Ge’er.”

The room fell into silence.

Miss Yun had nothing to say, and even Ming Youtang was stunned.

Xiao Yuanbao slowly lifted his now nearly melted iced drink and took a sip.

Ming Guanxin looked at Ming Youtang and asked, “What’s wrong? Didn’t you tell Miss Yun?”

“I…”

Ming Youtang tried to explain that she didn’t know, but was met with a sharp, disapproving glance from Miss Yun.

“My father has always cherished talent,” Miss Yun said. “What a fortunate encounter to meet the younger brother of Scholar Qi today.”

She was quick to adapt and turned to Xiao Yuanbao, her tone noticeably more courteous now.

Xiao Yuanbao thought to himself: the reputation of a scholar really does carry weight.

Still, he didn’t act coldly toward Miss Yun. He responded with respectful courtesy.

Miss Yun continued, asking if Qi Beinan was his brother, why they didn’t share the same surname, and whether they were maternal relatives or something similar.

Xiao Yuanbao simply replied that they lived under the same roof and offered no further explanation. Truthfully, even he didn’t quite understand why his brother lived with them.

Once Miss Yun learned they lived together, she gave up trying to press for more.

After some time, as noon approached, Miss Yun took her leave.

Before leaving, she even said to Xiao Yuanbao, “Bao Ge’er, do visit my residence sometime. We have a roast goose dish there that’s truly delightful—Xin Ge’er can vouch for it.”

That afternoon, Ming Youtang was completely ignored by the other three, her face dark and stiff.

Seeing that, she felt all the more miserable. She had started the whole thing trying to mock Xiao Yuanbao, yet now Miss Yun had invited him to her home—wasn’t that a slap in her own face?

After leaving Baozhu Pavilion, she still tried to save face: “Miss Yun, why don’t you come to my courtyard for lunch before heading back?”

Miss Yun gave her a cold look. “You embarrassed me. If I hadn’t known better, I might’ve offended someone important today. Keep your food to yourself. And don’t come looking for me in the next few days.”

With that, she left in a hurry.

Ming Youtang, furious, nearly tore the handkerchief in her hands apart.

Back in her courtyard, she unleashed a storm of temper on the servants, scolding them for not checking facts before speaking nonsense.

Over in Baozhu Pavilion, things were much more cheerful. At lunch, Ming Guanxin happily ate three full bowls of rice.

As he picked food for Xiao Yuanbao, he said, “Did you see the look on Miss Yun’s face when she found out your brother’s surname was Qi? She turned green! Ming Youtang even froze, couldn’t say a word. I’m so pleased—those two are always scheming together to make things hard for me. Let them have a taste of it for once.”

Xiao Yuanbao, chewing on some tender braised tendon, asked, “Did I offend that Miss Yun with what I said?”

“She’s the one worried now. Your brother’s so accomplished—she’s afraid of offending you! And besides, they were the ones who started it.”

Ming Guanxin said, “Don’t worry. She’s just a concubine-born daughter of the county magistrate anyway. You didn’t say anything inappropriate—just stated the truth.”

Only then did Xiao Yuanbao feel at ease. His brother had told him not to stir up trouble, but also not to let others push him around.

“You know, your brother is amazing—top scorer in both exams—and you didn’t even tell me. If I’d known, those two wouldn’t have dared try anything today. Though, in the end, we were the ones who had the last laugh.”

Xiao Yuanbao replied, “Brother said not to make a fuss about it. He needed to focus on preparing for the exam.”

Ming Guanxin nodded. “Still, it’s partly my father’s fault too. He’s been too busy with his business to keep up with the exam news. Maybe that’s why my older brother was so annoyed with him.”

…

The hot days of summer passed quickly amidst the busyness. In a blink, it was the end of June, and the candidates who had gone to the prefectural capital for exams began to return home.

“Smell this—I stink.”

“You know you stink and still shove your armpit at me?”

Qi Beinan gave a mock shove to Zhao Guangzong, who grinned as he lifted his arm and leaned in.

He, too, was drenched in sweat.

In this kind of weather, the best way to cool down was to visit the Ming household. No doubt, Master Ming would be happy to offer a basin of ice for them to enjoy.

But Qi Beinan didn’t have the time—he’d been away for over two weeks and was anxious to get home.

They had taken a hired mule cart from the prefectural capital, which dropped them off at the village entrance.

Both were carrying their luggage and the many items they had purchased in the capital for their families, trudging under the sun, making their way home.

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