So Yingbao recounted her experience, talking about Shiquan Mountain and the peonies that appeared in the cave, and even added some exaggerations, which shocked everyone and amazed them again and again.
"Can peonies bloom in winter?" Li He was a little confused.
Li Daobai glanced at his brother and said, "I've already said it was a miracle. Do you understand miracle? Not to mention peonies blooming in winter, even if there were auspicious dragons in the sky, it wouldn't be strange."
Li He scratched his head and nodded in agreement.
Er Ni said with a fascinated look on her face: "It would be great if I could encounter a miracle. Then I would ask her for some magic medicine that can make me immortal."
She had arranged everything in her mind: one for her father, one for her mother, one for her brother, and one for herself. Well, one for Yan Ru's mother as well. They would all live forever, in harmony and happiness.
Jiang Quan mercilessly broke her fantasy: "Don't dream, do you think the magic medicine is just leeks on the ground? You only need a few pills. When she meets a believer like you, I guess the goddess doesn't have to do anything else and will just refine the magic medicine for you."
Erni glared at her second cousin: "I want a few! What's wrong?"
Jiang Quan snorted and muttered, "Wishful thinking."
"What are you mumbling about?" Erni leaned over.
Jiang Quan ran away.
Sakura:...
She suddenly remembered that her Wudingzhi should also be considered a miracle medicine. She should give more of it to her parents and younger brothers so that they could live longer.
In the afternoon, the eldest sister-in-law learned that Jiang Quan had returned with a cart of fruits and vegetables, so she came over with her child to help look after the shop.
She also brought a piece of news, "My father found out that there is indeed a specialty store near West Street. The things they sell are the same as ours, even the packaging is the same. The only difference is that the name of the store is Cao's Specialties, and it's owned by the family of County Lieutenant Cao Shen."
"No wonder." Jiang Cheng sneered.
Qiu Rong added: "What's strange is that Cao Ji Specialties also sells golden fungus and snow fungus, but the quantity is not large."
"Let's open our own business, why bother with him." Jiang Quan said, "I don't believe that he even has lychees, grapes and longans."
Qiu Rong smiled and said, "That's true."
Yingbao doesn't care much about Cao's shop, because if his shop doesn't follow suit, there will be other shops in the future, which is not surprising at all.
At this time, more and more people came into the store to buy fruit, and Jiang Cheng hired an ox cart to deliver the goods.
Although the family had a horse-drawn carriage, the old horse had just pulled a cart of goods for such a long distance, so it was natural to let it have a good rest when we returned to the county town.
There are also many wealthy families in the county. They ordered lychees and other fruits from the store a few days ago and are just waiting for the goods to arrive and be delivered.
Seeing that the ox cart was quite spacious, Yingbao got on as well. She wanted to go back to the hospital to bring some fruits to her master and fellow brothers.
By the way, I also need to go to Yuanbao’s school and bring some fruits for him and his master to try.
The ox cart moved slowly under the scorching sun. When it arrived at a house's door, Jiang Cheng hurriedly picked up a large basket of fruit and knocked on the door.
The door opened, someone carried the fruit in, and then gave the money out.
At this time, Yingbao was sitting on the ox cart, sweating profusely, thinking about the ice stored in the cave.
She piled the ice cubes in a corner and they didn't melt.
However, the area within ten feet of the ice was very cold, so she placed all the fruits and vegetables she had picked in the cave around the ice to freeze them. It would definitely be delicious to take them out and eat them at this time, but she didn't dare to.
Seeing that his little cousin was very hot, Jiang Cheng took out his straw hat to fan her and said angrily, "I told you not to follow me, but you didn't listen. What if you get a heat stroke?"
Yingbao: "I won't get a heatstroke." At worst she could just eat a piece of ice to cool down. It's impossible for her to get a heatstroke anyway.
The ox cart stopped and started, and soon all the fruits from those families were delivered. Jiang Cheng then came to the school where Yuanbao was studying, and got off the ox cart with Yingbao.
The name of the academy was Yude Academy, and it was opened by a scholar named Xie.
The door of the school was closed at this moment, but the sound of reading could be faintly heard from inside.
Jiang Cheng hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and knocked on the door knocker.
Not long after, a woman in her thirties came to open the door. Seeing it was Jiang Cheng, she immediately invited them in.
The woman was the daughter-in-law of the teacher at the school. She cooked for the students every day and also guarded the gate.
She asked the brother and sister to wait in the living room while she went to the classroom to call people.
Jiang Cheng put the fruit basket he brought in on the ground and sat down at a side seat with his little cousin.
"Brother!" Yuanbao walked in quickly and was very happy to see Yingbao again: "Yingbao, you are back from your travels."
"Yes." Yingbao took out the books she bought in the capital from her bag and handed them to Yuanbao: "My master added annotations to them. I heard from my eldest cousin that you will be killed next year. These books should be useful to you."
Yuanbao knew that his little cousin's current master was a learned man, and he immediately felt like he had found a treasure and started to read the book.
Sure enough, these books were annotated with every word and sentence, and the meanings explained were more detailed than what the Master said.
"Thank you Yingbao." Nothing was more important than this, Yuanbao was overjoyed.
Because any classic with detailed annotations is truly hard to come by.
Otherwise, why is it so difficult for a poor family to produce a noble son
It’s not that they are not smart or hardworking, but they really can’t compare to the children of wealthy families with abundant resources.
Books on scientific research are not difficult to buy as long as you have money.
But you have to know what it means when you buy it.
Many classics are full of discussions on the past and present, with quotations from classics. If you don't know the allusions, you won't be able to understand what they mean.
In this case, you either have to read a lot of books or find a teacher to guide you.
In fact, it is difficult for students from poor families to access books annotated and translated by great scholars, let alone learn from famous teachers.
Once you enter the examination room, even if you have good handwriting and can recite all the books from memory, you can only pass the county exam.
When it comes to the provincial and imperial examinations, it is not as simple as just memorizing books.
Candidates will also be tested on essays, imperial edicts, imperial decrees, memorials, judgments, etc., as well as strategies, namely "classics, history, current affairs, etc.", which examine their understanding and strategies of Confucian classics, historical anecdotes, and current political news.
For those poor students who are oblivious to what is happening outside, these policy essays can be life-threatening.
"You're welcome." Ying Bao said with a smile, "When you pass the exam next year, we can also benefit from it."
Yuanbao scratched his head embarrassedly and hummed softly.
After coming out of the school, Yingbao said goodbye to her eldest cousin and went straight to the hospital.
Zhou Wuchang had just returned from the Yin-Yang Department of the Medical Office. He was washing his hands and face and talking to his eldest disciple when he saw his youngest disciple running in hurriedly, holding a fruit basket in his hands.
Yingbao placed the fruit basket on the table and asked, "Master, are you going to Chuanhe Town tomorrow?"
Zhou Wuchang glanced at the fruit basket and nodded: "Master does have to go to Chuanhe Town."
He wanted to see what Dongchen Village was like, and that attracted many people.
"Great, I'll go clean it up right away."
Actually, there is not much to pack, but you must take your own medicine box.
Yingbao ran out of the house and then came back to ask Zhou Wuchang: "Master, has Pei Shixian started to plan to take over Dongchen Village?"
Zhou Wuchang: “?”
"Today, people who come to my shop to buy things keep asking whether my fruits were made with magic from Master Pei."