Rou Niang recalled how good Li Dashan had been to her when she was little. He would lift her up high, let her ride on his shoulders, and the three of them would stroll around town together. He would buy her little toys to make her happy.

Of course, he also hit her, scolded her, and ignored her. His marriage was so rushed that he didn't even have a wedding dress, but he secretly slipped her a few copper coins. Of course, Rou Niang's last impression was of the farewell between father and daughter in the Mo family courtyard in Zhao Family Village. That day, Li Dashan left without looking back, and completely disappeared from her world...

"Mo Bei, it's okay, I'm just..." Rou Niang couldn't continue, tears streaming down her face. "It's strange, I'm not sad, I just got sand in my eyes." Rou Niang kept wiping her tears with her handkerchief.

Mo Bei held Rou Niang in his arms, offering silent comfort.

Li Dabao stayed. He said that later his parents died, and his wife died after giving birth to Niannian.

"Sister, I came here for no other reason than to ask you to take us in, for Father's sake. I have no other way to survive!" Li Dabao cried bitterly.

Rou Niang couldn't bring herself to drive Nian Nian away. Nian Nian was very well-behaved and cautious. Perhaps there really is such a thing as blood ties and kinship. In any case, Rou Niang's heart softened.

Rou Niang arranged for Li Dabao to work as a manager in a shop, while Niannian stayed at the Mo residence for the time being.

Li Dabao was quite diligent, and Rou Niang, after observing him for a while, felt reassured.

Just as they finished dealing with Li Dabao's matter, Yu Rong got into trouble.

Rumors circulated that Yu Rong had given herself to Feng Shi while she was wet, implying that the two had been intimate.

Yu Rong realized something was wrong after that day and naturally distanced herself from Miss Zhao, but unexpectedly, the matter still came to light.

Madam Feng of the Feng family, formerly Concubine Feng, naturally did not want Feng Shi to be of such a high social standing. Therefore, she hesitated to express her opinion.

Her beautiful face became the talk of the town!

Rou Niang was naturally furious, and just when she was at her angrier, Feng Shi arrived!

He carried thorns on his back to apologize, his attitude was good, and he accepted being beaten and scolded.

Rou Niang was in a difficult position, but Mo Bei didn't tolerate it and gave her a beating!

"I don't care whether you did it intentionally or unintentionally, whether you were trying to help or not. Now that you've ruined my daughter's reputation, what are you going to do about it?"

“If Yu Rong is willing, I am willing to marry her. If not, after I pass the imperial examination, I will be transferred to a post outside the capital; if not, I will travel and study abroad. I will return after she is married. The capital is full of gossip; they won't keep watching Yu Rong forever,” Feng Shi said.

"In that case, why don't you take the imperial examination first and then decide?" Rou Niang also wanted to ask her daughter before making a decision.

Yu Rong listened to Yu Yan and Yu Jin, who were secretly observing, and then fell silent after hearing what Feng Shi had said.

"If you ask me, Feng Shi is not bad," Yu Jin said. "He's sincere enough."

“He’s just a playboy, you’ve misjudged him. He’s a libertine, anyone can say nice things for free.” Yu Yan didn’t believe it.

"Sister, what are you thinking?" Yu Jin asked.

Rou Niang just walked in and asked, "I share the same attitude. What do you think, Yu Rong?"

Yu Rong shook her head: "Mother, I'm confused, I don't know."

Rou Niang comforted her, "Don't worry, just rest well and don't overthink it. Don't go out for the next few days. In a few days, there might be new news, and people will forget about this."

Yu Rong nodded, and Rou Niang left helplessly.

With the scientific expedition approaching, the Mo family welcomed the expected visitor, Liu Wenyuan!

"Wen Yuan, how's your mother doing lately? Feel free to stay with me. After your exams in a few days, Yu Yan and the others will show you around before you go back. Make yourself at home here, and just let me know if you need anything!" Rou Niang was very hospitable, and that evening she prepared a table full of delicious food to entertain him.

"I'm sorry to have bothered you, Aunt Liu. I'm just too late; all the inns in the capital are full, so... But my mother is doing well and often thinks of you!" Liu Wenyuan said.

"Oh, don't be so polite." Yu Yan waved her hand generously, "We agreed back then that you would come to the capital to find us!"

"I'm sorry to bother you!" Liu Wenyuan bowed.

"The same goes for you three. Wenyuan is staying at home during this time, so you're not allowed to disturb him while he's studying, understand?" Rou Niang said.

"It was I who disturbed you," Liu Wenyuan quickly said.

And so, Liu Wenyuan settled down, stirring up the tranquil pool of Yu Rong once again!

Yes, first love is always unforgettable!

The two unexpectedly reunited in the garden, where butterflies fluttered, just as they had in the past.

"Times have changed, and Yu Rong has become someone who no longer needs to speak," Liu Wenyuan said with a smile.

The little girl who used to chase after him with snacks has now grown into a refined young lady.

“People always change. Young Master Liu has changed a lot too,” Yu Rong said.

When Liu Wenyuan heard Yu Rong address him as Young Master Liu instead of Brother Wenyuan, he knew that some things could never be undone.

"Yu Yan hasn't changed. She's still the same as before, always so loud and boisterous. She still can't stay home and has to run out, right?" Liu Wenyuan asked, having not seen Yu Yan for the past few days.

Yes, his heart remains unchanged; Liu Wenyuan has not given up on Yu Yan.

It's not that the inn is full; he just wants to cultivate a relationship in advance so that he can propose marriage after he passes the imperial examination!

He also received letters from his mother and sixth aunt. He naturally understood that things were different now. However, after ten years of hard study, he believed that he was full of knowledge and had a bright future. Although he didn't seem to be doing well now, he was sure that he would achieve great things in the future.

"She probably went to see Duobao. The imperial examination is approaching, and Duobao has to take it too," Yu Rong said.

"When did Young Master Qian come to the capital? I should pay him a visit." Liu Wenyuan was surprised. It was Qian Duobao again! He was a businessman, why was he getting involved in the imperial examinations!

“He arrived not long after we did. He lives in the capital, so we practically grew up together,” Yu Rong said.

Liu Wenyuan was disappointed, realizing that he had no advantage at all. He had thought that the two of them had been close since childhood, but that was when they were young. After Yu Yan came to the capital, the two had been separated for a long time. Yu Yan understood the class system and naturally became distant. He never expected that they had grown up together!

How could his sudden arrival disrupt someone's childhood friendship?

Liu Wenyuan lost interest in reading and went out for a walk to clear his head.

Rou Niang felt pressured to let Liu Wenyuan go, and after much persuasion, she realized that Yu Jin had gone to the palace and Yu Yan had gone off on her own again. So, she had no choice but to let Yu Rong accompany her for a stroll.

Fortunately, the controversy surrounding Feng Shi's death has naturally passed, and now everyone is focused on the scientific expedition.

As Yu Rong and Liu Wenyuan walked down the street, Yu Rong was surprisingly calm. It turned out that what she had been longing for wasn't Liu Wenyuan himself, but rather her own feelings back then—the budding romance, the anxiety, and other emotions. Now, everything seemed calm and serene; she appeared to have truly let go.

"Oh my, isn't this Princess Yu Rong?" Just then, they ran into Feng Shi.

"What?" Yu Rong asked, her tone neither good nor bad. At this moment, she remembered the day Feng Shi saved her and the two of them hugged, and she suddenly felt her face burning.

Feng Shi misunderstood and asked, "Why are you blushing and your heart racing while shopping with a pretty boy?"

"Don't talk nonsense!" Yu Rong said angrily and ran away!