It turned out that Zhu Sihuan had followed them.

Although the Zhu family is also a prominent family, it is still slightly inferior to the Jiang family. Moreover, he is from a collateral branch of the Zhu family, so he should not offend the Jiang family for either reason or emotion.

Zhu Sihuan's kick truly shocked Xu Mo, and made Xu Mo even more unable to understand this person.

"If I say I'm acting out of a sense of justice, would you believe me?" Zhu Sihuan chuckled.

However, he quickly put away his smile and said, "Actually, I want to make a name for myself. The fame of writing poetry and discussing philosophy is not enough. I, Zhu Sihuan, also want to be known for speaking out for justice and for being aloof and unyielding."

At least that kick struck the hearts of many intellectuals.

Xu Mo pursed his lips. This explanation sounded the most reasonable, but he did feel that Zhu Sihuan had shown genuine sincerity. As for how much sincerity there was, only time would tell.

"In any case, I must thank Young Master Sihuan." The refined and elegant young man cupped his hands in thanks.

Zhu Sihuan smiled faintly, "I appreciate your kind words, Scholar Xu. If I achieve my goal, I will reward you handsomely."

Footsteps sounded again at the entrance of You Ran Ju. It turned out that the younger brother and sister came out with money in their hands.

Xu Mo didn't linger any longer. He and his family boarded a carriage and hurried back to the second courtyard.

Just as the two of them guessed.

The next day.

Zhu Sihuan, who was already somewhat talented, became famous in Fengjing. His act of protecting the three commoner siblings at the entrance of Wenchang Pavilion was talked about by countless scholars. Many people bet that in the provincial examination three years later, young master Sihuan would definitely have a place.

As a result, even the direct descendants of the Zhu family were alarmed.

Speaking of the direct line of the Zhu family, we must mention the marriage between the Zhu family and the Tao family.

Initially, the Zhu family was looking for a marriage partner for Zhu Zhi, but after much searching, they couldn't find a suitable one. It wasn't until Zhu Zhi passed the imperial examination and became a scholar that the Tao family met their requirements, and the two families naturally became a couple and formed a community of shared interests.

During the time that the children of the two families were engaged, the Tao family and the Zhu family went through several rounds of cooperation. The marriage between the two families was a sure thing, but it was ruined by Zhu Zhi's illegitimate son.

Unfortunately, the engagement broke down, but the cooperation continued, leaving both the Zhu and Tao families in a difficult position.

Let's get married. The Tao family can't afford to lose face like this.

If they don't get married, they won't be willing to give up the easy money they've already got.

At this critical moment, Zhu Sihuan, who suddenly appeared, was seen by the direct descendants of the Zhu family as a savior sent from heaven and the key to maintaining the good relations between the two families.

Within three to five days, someone from the main branch of the family came to deliver a message to Zhu Sihuan, asking if he was willing to marry the Tao family girl.

Zhu Sihuan hesitated on the surface, but inside he was screaming.

He pretended to be unwilling, and after hesitating for a long time, he said aggrievedly, "Wouldn't I be taking the blame for my uncle?"

Only after the direct descendant assured him that he would not be mistreated did Zhu Sihuan reluctantly agree to the marriage.

The next day, the Zhu family and the Tao family discussed the matter.

Although the Tao family had strict requirements, insisting that their daughters marry into families with successful candidates in the imperial examinations, the Zhu family truly had no eligible candidates. Zhu Sihuan did have a chance of passing the examinations, and most importantly, the Tao family was unwilling to give up their business partnership with the Zhu family.

After weighing the pros and cons, the marriage was actually finalized.

When the news reached the second courtyard, their birth charts had already been changed, and they were discussing the wedding date.

“I thought the Tao family would wait three years until the imperial examination before getting married,” Chang Yan said slowly, “just like Wang Haoran of the Wang family.”

Last year, Wang Haoran got engaged to a girl from the Zhou family. The agreement was that they would get married after he passed the imperial examination. Both Wang Haoran and his father were full of confidence, but unexpectedly, Xu Mo became the top scholar in the provincial examination, while Wang Haoran didn't even make the ranking.

If you don't make the rankings, you've failed the exam. If you fail, you're no longer a successful candidate and have to prepare for another three years.

According to Wang Fufeng, the Zhou family wants to break off the engagement, but Wang Sanye and his son are unwilling and insist on going through with the marriage. The situation is currently at a stalemate.

“Young Master Sihuan is already sixteen. I heard that the Tao family’s daughter is two years older than him,” Xu Mo said softly.

Three years is neither a long nor a short time. Even if Zhu Sihuan was willing to wait, the Tao family's daughter couldn't afford to wait.

So after all the twists and turns, the kid's wish was granted.

He schemed and plotted, all for the sake of winning the heart of his beloved.

Even though Xu Mo was wary of Zhu Sihuan's intelligence, he couldn't help but applaud his elaborate schemes.

I only hope that in his moments of triumph and joy, he will not forget the promise they made to each other.

In the second courtyard, there are bright folding windows, and on a plain wooden table, a scroll-shaped sheet of Xuan paper is spread out.

The boy picked up a thick brush and solemnly wrote the four characters "One Strike, One Kill" on it.

Xu Mo's hatred for Zhu Zhi has never diminished over the years. Even though Zhu Zhi is a member of the direct line, has the support of his elder brother, the head of the family, and the protection of the matriarch of the Fang family, he cannot stop Xu Mo's intense killing intent.

Joining forces with Zhu Sihuan is only the first step; there will be a second and a third step.

Suddenly, a silvery laugh came from outside the window.

Xu Mo looked up and realized that his second brother had returned. His sister was circling around him, asking him all sorts of questions, and had also received a large bouquet of local specialties.

"Fengjing is really big. It took me half a month to get out. I brought you some good food when I passed through Henan County." Zheng Ruqian looked travel-worn, and half of the weight he had just gained had disappeared.

Jiang Sheng happily untied the bundle, only to be startled by the red fruits scattered on the ground. She picked them up and realized they were large red dates.

Chang Yan, standing nearby, was both amused and exasperated. "Second brother, who brings red dates as a local specialty?"

“Don’t look down on it. These are Zheng Xin’s big red dates. They have thin skin, thick flesh, and small pits. They taste good too.” Zheng Ruqian said with his hands on his hips. “Most importantly, these things are lucky.”

How could dried goods not be easy to transport? They won't spoil even after being stored for half a year.

Jiang Sheng pouted and opened another package. This time she was much more careful. The fruit didn't fall apart, but it was still bright red and round, stinging her eyes.

"What, you don't like it?" Zheng Ruqian raised his voice, "Little Jiang Sheng, this is hawthorn! Your favorite candied hawthorn is made with hawthorn, why are you making that face?"

Jiang Sheng was speechless. Does liking candied hawthorn necessarily mean liking hawthorn berries? Who told Second Brother that?

The little girl lost hope and casually opened the third package. Sure enough, it contained some large, plump chestnuts that looked quite good, but were inedible.

Jiang Sheng was almost in tears.

Zheng Ruqian, standing to the side, was still smugly pleased with himself, saying, "Henan County is truly a wonderful place. The jujubes here are tastier than others, the hawthorns are sweeter, and even the chestnuts are bigger."

"I transported quite a lot this time, I'll send it to Youranju later."

The young man was ambitious and believed that Fengjing's You Ran Ju was no different from Anshui County. He thought that if he could raise the price of preserved meat, he could also reach a new delivery cooperation.

Unexpectedly, when a truckload of local specialties arrived at Youranju, all they received was the disdain of the head manager.

“Young Master Zheng, our Youran Residence doesn’t accept just any filthy stuff.”