CHAPTER 104: CHAPTER 103: YU XIAOLIAN = DELICIOUS CANDY

Early the next morning, the sky was gray and heavy, and before long, a large snow began to fall.

This was the first snow of the winter, falling thick and fast, with no sign of stopping.

But it wasn’t particularly cold, and the snow was melting as it fell, turning the paths muddy.

The weather was bad, and the roads were difficult to travel on, so Yu Xiaolian decided to stay home for the day, going nowhere.

The junior clerk sent by the Shopkeeper Hai to her home to collect pastries mentioned that the list for scheduled daily necessities had filled two whole sheets. He asked when Yu Xiaolian could have the items ready.

Currently, the daily necessities no longer required her to sell them directly. As the Shopkeeper Hai put it, market demand was high, and supply couldn’t keep up.

Yu Xiaolian only needed to have the items prepared and handed over to the young man sent by the Shopkeeper Hai, who would cart them to Mingxiang Building each morning.

The Shopkeeper Hai would distribute the goods according to the pre-order list, and Yu Xiaolian only needed to go settle accounts and collect payment at the end of the month.

Originally, she was worried that Zheng Yuanfeng might have issues with the 20-80 profit split, but he didn’t mention it at all.

This person knows how to keep things classy.

Zheng Yuanfeng: I only didn’t mention it last time because you were coming back from being kidnapped, and the situation wasn’t right. Don’t overthink it.

What’s mine should come to me.

The stamp that Su Jingchen made for her last time was very useful—she no longer had to write everything by hand. Yu Xiaolian used a wide-mouthed porcelain bottle and a cotton pad to make a simple ink pad, tipped ink onto the pad, and then used the stamp carved by Su Jingchen, pressing it down in one go.

This way, she saved a lot of time and effort.

Yu Xiaolian felt it necessary to thank Su Jingchen, so she brought a few carefully selected bookmarks and two packages of walnut kernels to the Su Family.

Su Jingyue sat cross-legged on the kang bed, his chubby little hands peeling the candy wrapper of the sweets Yu Xiaolian just gave him.

Su Jingyue put the candy in his mouth and looked delighted, "My brother went to Ping City this morning and won’t be back for a few days."

"What did he go to Ping City for?"

Ping City isn’t exactly close to Yangcheng; even by carriage, it would take three to four days to get there.

Just traveling back and forth would take seven to eight days.

Met with Su Jingchen yesterday, and he didn’t say anything about going far.

On second thought, there’s no need for him to report his whereabouts to us.

"Apparently, there’s a competition between Qingquan Academy and Ping City’s Mingde Academy, and Dean Bai selected a few outstanding students to go compete, including my brother."

Su Jingyue swallowed the milk candy in his mouth and then put a peanut brittle in, his little mouth chewing eagerly.

"This candy is really tasty."

The candy Aunt Li bought from the shop outside isn’t as good as what Sister Yu gave.

Unfortunately, his brother warned him not to go over to Yu Family’s courtyard, or he’d be sent back to Lower River Bend.

To avoid going back to face Yao’s hypocritical face, Su Jingyue silently prayed for Yu Xiaolian to come over by herself during this time.

Yu Xiaolian=delicious candy!

This Bai Shixi seems to know good stuff, recognizing Su Jingchen as a potential.

But with Su Jingchen gone, he probably won’t be back for more than ten or half a month.

Leaving the gifts behind, Yu Xiaolian planned to head home.

"Sister Xiaolian, don’t go!"

Su Jingyue jumped off the kang bed, hugged Yu Xiaolian’s leg, and looked up pleadingly, "With my brother not home, I’m afraid to sleep alone. Can I sleep at your house?"

"No, there’s no place at my house. Besides, boys and girls over the age of seven don’t share seats, didn’t your brother teach you?"

"I know boys and girls don’t share seats at seven, but I’m only six years old..." Su Jingyue blinked his big eyes, acting cute to Yu Xiaolian.

"Don’t you usually sleep in the west room with Aunt Li? What does it matter whether your brother is home or not?"

"How did you know I sleep with Aunt Li?" Su Jingyue released Yu Xiaolian, looking aggrieved, "It must have been my brother who told you. He tells you everything.

Actually, I can sleep alone, but there are too few rooms in this courtyard, so I have no choice but to share a room with Aunt Li."

Finally, he added, "I’m not afraid!"

Yu Xiaolian stifled a laugh, "If you’re not afraid, then why were you just hugging my leg?"

"It’s hard to have you visit, and you’re leaving after saying so little. I just wanted you to stay a little longer!"

After longing and waiting with bated breath, you finally came; are you sure you don’t want to leave me a few pieces of candy before going?

"No more chit-chat. Besides, what is there to talk about with a little brat like you?" Yu Xiaolian deliberately teased him.

"I’m much better at chatting than my brother. My brother is the type who can’t utter a few words in half a day, unlike me; I talk a lot and chatting with me never gets awkward."

His brother is so reserved, often causing awkward silences during conversations.

Like when he met his future sister-in-law a few days ago and acted like she owed him something, all tight-lipped.

He even had that fake demeanor like he was going to kick the bucket any second.

The whole time, it was Ning Chuyu finding topics, and his brother would occasionally cover his face for a cough and signal Ning Chuyu to continue.

He noticed Ning Chuyu’s awkwardness, but his smart brother didn’t seem to.

And afterward, when he called Ning Chuyu sister-in-law, his brother got angry.

"You certainly talk more than your brother."

Su Jingyue probably speaks as much in one day as Su Jingchen does in a year.

"I’m not just talkative; I’m cuter than my brother too. Sister Xiaolian, seeing how cute I am, won’t you give me a few more pieces of candy?"

Finally, getting to the point—going round in circles, all for a few pieces of candy.

Ambitious!

Not teasing him anymore, Yu Xiaolian gave Su Jingyue a few more pieces of candy before hurrying home.

Just in case she stayed too long, her father might come looking for her.

Qingquan Academy

With Bai Shixi absent, the task of copying "Women’s Virtue" exam papers for Teacher Wan fell to Zheng Yuanfeng.

After copying a thick stack of test papers, just as Zheng Yuanfeng was about to leave, Teacher Wan brought over another pile of assignments from the Women’s Virtue Academy.

"My old eyes are failing me, help grade these!" Teacher Wan said unceremoniously.

Zheng Yuanfeng was quite frustrated, grumbling about being used as free labor.

This was all because Dean Bai usually indulged Teacher Wan!

Zheng Yuanfeng was about to find an excuse to slip away.

Suddenly, the name Yu Wanying on the test paper caught his eye.

Zheng Yuanfeng changed his mind.

After examining the test paper, he dipped his pen in ink and wrote a small note on Yu Wanying’s short essay, "Too much ink, handwriting lacks precision."

Then he marked it as a lower-middle grade B in the lower right corner.

Hmph, if you always aim for first place, you better not expect an A grade from me in the future.

...

That day, just as Zheng Yuanfeng finished grading Yu Wanying’s assignment, the mustached Teacher Li came looking for trouble.

"Why did you mark Yu Wanying’s question wrong? Since ancient times, men being strong and women being weak, adhering to one’s husband, is following the natural order; what’s wrong with that?"

Indeed, the students of the Women’s Virtue Academy were often fed such toxic teachings by Teacher Li: follow the father at home, follow the husband when married, and follow the son if widowed.

So for this debate topic concerning men being strong and women being strong, all the female students unhesitatingly answered men as strong.

Zheng Yuanfeng initially thought the answer wasn’t problematic, but being confronted by Teacher Li, he felt compelled to debate with him.