Chapter 21: The Gifted Scholar and the Beautiful Lady

  Xiao Chengyan loved the taste of this tofu flower, and after finishing it, she called that little daughter-in-law to bring another bowl. Yuan Dai didn't want any, but asked for a bowl of soy milk instead, drinking it slowly while peeling and eating chestnuts from a paper bag.

  Ling Yuancheng and Xiao Chengye on one side looked at this scene, both speechless.

  Seeing him like this, Yan Dai couldn't help but secretly laugh to herself, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she reached into the paper bag and handed out chestnuts to the two of them. The two of them didn't stand on ceremony either, reaching out to grab some and eating them. After finishing the second bowl, Xiao Xian actually still felt a little unsatisfied, but she wasn't someone who was greedy for temporary pleasures. Putting down the coarse ceramic bowl and sighing, she smiled and said: "This stuff really does suit my taste!"

  Ling Yuexuan hastily put the last spoonful into her mouth, swallowed it, and nodded repeatedly in agreement: "I love to eat too!" She said, then turned to Yuan Dai and said: "Looking at Ninth Sister... Brother... like this, it seems as if she's often playing around in the streets!"

  Yuan Dai didn't deny it, and with a smile, she said frankly: "It used to be like that! But since I came back, this is the first time!" As she spoke, she couldn't help but lift her head to look at the bright and clear sky. The weather was great, the sky was azure blue, and a few wispy white clouds drifted with the wind. The warm winter sun shone on her body, making her feel extremely comfortable.

  Xian Yu seemed unwilling to say more, but Ling Yuanxuan looked at her with a curious gaze, as if she wanted to get to the bottom of things. After shaking her head secretly, Xiao Chengyan peeled a chestnut and said, "The weather is nice today!"

  As soon as the words came out, everyone nodded in agreement. Putting the chestnuts into their mouths, they savored the sweet and delicate flavor. Xiao Chengyan let out a long sigh and said, "The roasted chestnuts of this house are not inferior to those of Pingjing City North Su Chestnut House!"

  Xiao Chengye suddenly heard this and couldn't help but glance at her, saying: "Don't expect me to come here to buy food for you!"

  She wrinkled her small nose. Xiao Cheng Yan pouted and said, "Even if you buy it, how many days can you buy? Why must you say such cruel words!" He didn't expect her to say this. Xiao Cheng Yan was stunned for a moment, and after a while, he let out a sigh with some regret.

  This sigh, however, inadvertently evoked the crowd's reluctance to part ways. After this trip down the mountain, it won't be long before everyone goes their separate ways. Who knows when the five of us will reunite again? It may not happen for years to come.

  They were almost of one mind. The three men did not speak again, but silently peeled the chestnuts on the table. After a while, they had eaten them all, and Yu Dafu was the first to break the silence: "Let's go! Let's go somewhere else!"

  Ling Yuqing hastily raised his hand and called the young woman over, taking out a small piece of silver from his purse and placing it on the table. The young woman did not expect that after drinking several bowls of tofu flower, they would actually take out silver to pay the bill. She was taken aback for a moment before shaking her head and saying: "Sir..."

  Ling Yuancheng stood up and waved his hand at her: "The tofu flower in your house is extremely delicious! Let's come back and eat again tomorrow!"

  The five of them got up and left the open-air teahouse, strolling along.

  Because of the Wenxuan Hall being here, and it just so happening to be the time of the imperial examination, this small town is now even more prosperous than usual. On the streets, one can occasionally see groups of three or four scholars walking together in twos, and there are also many young girls who, although dressed simply, have delicate features and are strolling along in pairs, their bright eyes darting back and forth as they glance around. Among them, all are filled with yearning emotions for the future.

  Five people walked together, and their clothes, appearance, and demeanor were all extraordinary. They also received a lot of attention and gained some favor from the ladies.

  Yuan Dai hadn't said anything yet, but on the other side, Xiao Chengyan was already feeling overwhelmed. Because after putting on a mask, although Xiao Chengyan's appearance was elegant and refined, he looked to be over thirty years old. Ling Yuanqing, on the other hand, had become an ordinary-looking man, and compared to the three of them, he naturally attracted less attention. Among the three, Yuan Dai looked ill, Ling Yuanshu seemed a bit too young, while Xiao Chengyan became the target of everyone's gaze.

  After a series of bitter smiles, Xiao Chengyan finally couldn't help but speak up: "It's already noon now, you guys say, should we go back to the Wenxuan Hall for lunch or rush to Pingjing?" As she spoke, she gave a fierce glare to Xiao Chengye standing beside her, whose eyes seemed to hold a hint of amusement.

  Xiao Chengye had been watching her with great interest, and not only did he have no sympathy for her predicament, but he also had a somewhat condescending attitude, as if he was watching a fire from the other side of the river. However, since Xiao Chengyan had said so, he didn't dare not respond, and smiled: "This time we came out, it's all for you, naturally you should be in charge!"

  Xiao Cheng hummed and said, "In that case, let's hire a carriage to return to Pingjing!" This small village was neither close nor far from Pingjing. Walking would take quite some time, so it was best to travel by carriage.

  Everyone nodded and set off in their own directions, hurrying to hire carts to rush to Pingjing.

  At the time of getting on the carriage, it was naturally a coincidence that the three people, including Faru, got on the same carriage, while Xiao Chengye and Ling Yuqing were also on the same carriage. As soon as they sat down in the carriage, Xiao Chengye couldn't help but let out a sigh, feeling quite helpless, saying: "I didn't know that this 'selecting a son-in-law' custom among the common people would be so blatant!"

  Yuan Dai heard this and suddenly thought of Du Ruo, so she sighed and said: "People always like to portray talented men and beautiful women, but very few people think about what they will face after the talented men and beautiful women become a couple!"

  Ling Yuexuan heard this and couldn't help but blink, saying in a daze: "Could it be that Ninth Sister doesn't approve of the talented scholar and beautiful woman?"

  After smiling and pursing her lips, Yuandai suddenly opened the car window and pointed at a girl outside, asking Ling Yuexuan: "Little sister, what do you think of this woman?"

  Ling Yuexuan looked over at the sound, and saw that the girl had willow eyebrows and apricot eyes, a straight nose and cherry lips. Although she couldn't be considered a stunning beauty, she was still a rare gem. Without much consideration, she quickly said: "She really does look good, with this kind of appearance, even if she entered our estate, she would still be considered top-notch talent!"

  She didn't want the girl to have unrealistic thoughts just because of her own curiosity, so Faru quickly let go and smiled lightly at Ling Yuexuan: "For example, if this girl happened to meet a scholar, they hit it off and got married in private, what do you think will happen to them?"

  Ling Yuexuan suddenly said: "If this scholar can pass the imperial examination this year, wouldn't that be a good thing?"

  Yan Dai nodded seriously, but suddenly asked: "Sister, have you ever thought that if this candidate can pass the imperial examination and become a high-ranking official, would he still be willing to marry this girl with proper ceremony and bring her home, and in the future, would he grant her an official title?"

  Ling Yuexuan was shocked and asked in return: "Why is he unwilling?"

  She was so stubborn and unyielding that it left Far Dai speechless, fortunately, Xiao Chengyan had been quietly listening on the side and understood what Far Dai meant. With a smile, Xiao Chengyan said: "There are many reasons for not being willing! Let's just talk about one that is right in front of us?" Seeing Ling Yuanshu nodding, she pointed to herself and said: "For example, if my Xiao family were to take him as a son-in-law?"

  Ling Yuexuan was taken aback, and then almost matter-of-factly said: "How could Sister Xiao possibly take a liking to someone like him?"

  Yan Dai couldn't help but laugh again: "What if this person was the high school champion, and the Xiao family didn't know about his relationship with that girl?"

  Ling Yu Xuan heard this and was momentarily stunned, half a day later he bitterly smiled and said: "This... I really can't say anything good..." (Your support is my greatest motivation.)