Chapter 52 The fish at the bustling night market was delicious, and even Shen Qilin loved it...

The sun set behind the western mountains, and the sky grew dark.

In the bamboo forest behind Biyong Academy, insects chirped at night, and the mountain breeze rustled through the trees.

Feng Yuan sat in the bamboo hut deep in thought. Frustrated, he raised his hand and slapped his thigh with a "smack," killing a bold and audacious mosquito.

He was struggling with how to write the book he had only half-finished, while unconsciously scratching the large mosquito bite on his leg that was slowly swelling up. He first pressed out a "+" shape with his fingernail, and as the mosquito bite got bigger and bigger, he dug it out with his fingernail to press out a "rice" shape.

But the more I thought about it, the more confused I became; my mind was a complete mess, and my legs were itchy.

He sighed deeply, resignedly stood up, and went around to the back corridor to make himself a bowl of instant soup noodles—whenever his thoughts were blocked, he would eat a bowl, and then face the bamboo breeze, eating and thinking at the same time, which made his thoughts much smoother, and now it had slowly become a habit.

Unfortunately, after searching for a long time, he found that the food basket brought by the servant was empty—it had all been eaten!

Feng Yuan picked up some crumbs from the basket and put them in his mouth. He chewed them, but the crumbs were soggy and not enough to comfort him. He then thought of the birthday banquet his family had held recently and couldn't help but smack his lips in reminiscence.

That day, after enjoying that delicious meal, he returned to his bamboo hut that night and suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He wrote thousands of words in one night, and even now, thinking back on it still makes him feel exhilarated!

So he looked at the sky and hesitated: Otherwise... while the bright moon and gentle breeze are with him, he should set off to investigate Shenji Soup Dumpling Shop at night.

Having already made up his mind, Feng Yuan bravely stepped out of the bamboo hut, and kicked his attendant, who was sleeping on the veranda, snoring and grinding his teeth, awake: "Feng Liu, let's go down the mountain."

Feng Liu, his eyes still blurry, sat up, wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth, and scrambled to his feet to catch up with his master. Confused, he asked, "It's already dark, and the academy is locked. Where are you going, young master?"

"Let's go eat soup noodles."

Feng Yuan moved with lightning speed. Below the mountain was the wall of Biyong Academy. Because it was built against the mountain, the foundation of the wall was relatively high, and there were also piles of rocks, so climbing out was not difficult.

The bright moon hung high, and the silver frost covered the ground, illuminating the figures of the master and servant as they huffed and puffed as they climbed over the wall. Feng Liu squatted down at the foot of the wall and struggled to lift Feng Yuan up. Feng Yuan tucked his robe into his belt, stuck out his buttocks, and clung to the top of the wall. He finally managed to sit up, but when he looked down from the top, his legs felt weak and he dared not jump down.

Just as he was hesitating, a rustling sound suddenly came from another wall not far away, which was hidden by lush flowers and trees. Feng Yuan thought it was a wild cat, but in the next moment, three heads peeked out from between the branches.

It's a head that looks very familiar.

The moonlight illuminated them, and the four of them gazed at each other across a section of the wall. Both were so shocked that they didn't know what to say for a moment.

Silence reigns at Biyong Academy tonight.

Ning Yi, with her extensive experience in skipping school, was the first to react. She sheepishly picked off the leaf that had accidentally gotten stuck on her head while climbing over the wall, and even had the mind to mutter to Xie Qi, "I've climbed over walls countless times, but this is the first time I've been caught. I should have known better than to invite you. I had forgotten that you're just naturally unlucky..."

Xie Qi even had the mind to retort in a low voice: "...Be content, you're lucky you didn't fall and break your leg."

Shang An sighed, "Stop arguing, Mr. Feng is glaring at us."

Ning Yi immediately put on a smile and looked up, asking with concern, "Sir, it's such a long night, what brings you here?"

Feng Yuan said sternly, "Shouldn't I be the one asking you this question?" After saying that, he turned to Xie Qi, looking heartbroken that his beloved student had been led astray. His hands trembled, and his beard bristled with anger. "How could even Xie Qi have gone along with you?"

Xie Qi turned his eyes away in shame, pretending to admire the particularly bright moonlight today.

"Tell me honestly, where exactly are the three of you headed?"

Shang An sighed, his expression slowly turning sorrowful.

He was known for his essays on policy, so his explanations flowed effortlessly. He began by discussing the drawbacks of the academy's dining hall, noting that the food was bland and that in the afternoon, only leftovers from breakfast were served: "Looking at it makes one lose their appetite, and eating it is even more difficult to swallow. The academy is locked after dark, and students are restricted from going out to find food. Especially with the heavy workload, they are already mentally exhausted, yet they still have to endure the hardship of not being able to eat their fill. Ning Da, Xie Jiu, and I were truly forced to risk climbing over the wall, hoping to find something to fill our stomachs and relieve our hunger." As he spoke, his eyes were filled with sorrow, and his tone was bitter. Feng Yuan even forgot that the three of them came from well-off families and felt a pang of sadness.

Then Shang An said seriously:

"We know this is wrong, but we have no choice but to do this to get a full meal. We hope that you, sir, can understand our situation. Biyong Academy is an official school, and the Zhuoyin Hall is responsible for the meals of hundreds of students. How can it be neglected? The students bring their own rice, but after it is cooked at the Zhuoyin Hall, the new rice becomes old rice, and the fine noodles are mixed with wheat bran. Isn't there some embezzlement involved? We have heard that because Biyong Academy is an official school, the Zhuoyin Hall has a large number of cooks, and they have not been replaced since the academy was first established. There is no severe punishment for cooks who are not good at cooking, and no generous reward for those who cook well. This is why we are in a situation where responsibilities are unclear and people are shirking their duties. We students are just ordinary people with little influence. We only hope that you, sir, can write to the headmaster on our behalf to investigate the corruption in the Zhuoyin Hall and resolve this predicament. Then we will no longer have to climb the wall and can study in peace."

Ning Yi's eyes widened in astonishment. No wonder Shang An was known as the "Iron Pen"! Their act of sneaking out of school by climbing over the wall because they were craving food suddenly seemed perfectly reasonable!

Now Ning Yi was no longer guilty. He puffed out his chest and nudged Xie Qi with his elbow.

Xie Qi quickly adopted a righteous and indignant expression, and said seriously, "That's right. The teachers usually dine at Guangbo Garden, so they are unaware of the shady practices at Zhuoyin Hall. The students come to the academy to focus on their studies and prepare for officialdom, and most of them come from humble backgrounds. They don't want to offend anyone and cause a scene, so no one has stepped forward. If we hadn't met you today, where would we have had a place to complain?"

Those from humble backgrounds dared not cause trouble, while those from aristocratic families kept their tails between their legs, at most ordering their families to deliver meals every day. This only benefited the parasites, who became even more unscrupulous.

Xie Qi thought to himself, and it seemed that the head steward of the Zhuoyin Hall was also the brother-in-law of a certain abbot [Note].

Feng Yuan, being straightforward, slammed his fist on the wall in anger: "Such a thing has happened? I, Feng, will speak with the headmaster tomorrow and make sure we get to the bottom of this!"

Although the Feng family had no power, they had accumulated a considerable amount of gold and silver. Most of the buildings and schools in the Biyong Academy were built with donations from the Feng family. For this, the emperor even wrote a calligraphy piece for Feng Yuan that read "Public-spirited and righteous," hoping that he would continue to be considerate of the emperor's wishes and donate more money.

Therefore, Feng Yuan was able to have his own bamboo forest retreat on the back mountain.

While others feared the elder's brother-in-law, Feng Yuan was not – faced with an official who was all smiles and no substance, the Xie family chose to abandon their eldest son, thinking "if you can't afford to offend him, you can at least avoid him." After losing their son, the Feng family chose another path: to buy their lives with money.

The Feng family first used money to break down the gate of the Marquis of Lejiang's mansion, and then the Marquis of Lejiang used money to break down the Empress Dowager's palace gate. After that, through the Empress Dowager's hands, money bags filled with the imperial treasury were obtained.

Although there's no hope of promotion, at least it's acceptable on the surface.

However, this is only a temporary solution; the gold and silver will eventually run out, and what will become of the Feng family then? Feng Yuan sighed, resigned to his fate and decided to live for the moment.

Xie Qi and the other two exchanged glances, not expecting such an unexpected bonus from skipping school. Feng Yuan was a fairly upright person, not one to make empty promises; since he had spoken, he would certainly do it.

However, as he sat on the wall and felt the cool breeze, Feng Yuan's muddled mind cleared up again. Something was wrong. Goodness, these kids were asking for trouble. They even dared to use him as a pawn! They said they weren't getting enough to eat and that the servants who came and went from house to house every day were just for show?

But what could he do when he had to settle for these three students? Most of the professors in the academy had a dozen or so students under their tutelage, but Feng Yuan was arrogant and looked down on the other students for being dull. He was only willing to teach Xie Qi, Shang An, and Ning Yi. The headmaster naturally had no choice but to accept this, since the Feng family was the academy's richest family!

At this time, the saying goes that one should treat one's teacher as one's father, and the relationship between teachers and students should be like that of father and son. So he could only tolerate these three troublesome students! Feng Yuan glanced at them sideways and asked in a cool tone, "Alright, this is the last time. I won't pursue your truancy. Now tell me, where do you want to go to eat?"

"Sir, you may not know, but Chenji Tangbing Shop has launched a new dish that I've heard is extremely delicious. We'd like to try it out." Ning Yi was already eager to go. "Sir, you have quite the refined taste. Are you perhaps sitting on the wall admiring the moon today? If you have some free time, why not come with us?"

Feng Yuan coughed lightly, a blush rising to his cheeks. He stroked his beard and readily agreed.

So the group that climbed over the wall to find food consisted of four people, including the teacher and students, and a cat. Xie Qi and his two mischievous friends squeezed into Feng Yuan's carriage. Afraid that Qilin would be squeezed, he tucked the sleeping kitten into his clothes, leaving only its tiny head sticking out, and sped off towards Chen Ji Tangbing Shop.

Once they entered the inner city and arrived at Yangliu East Lane, they realized just how booming Shenji's business was that night.

The four teachers and students got off the carriage, and before they even reached the gate, they heard a great commotion and a lively atmosphere.

Shenji Tangbing Shop was packed inside and out. A row of small stools lined the side of the shop, with many people sitting and waiting, holding bamboo skewers. Two burly men dressed in comical and festive attire, clearly hired temporarily, had pictures of grilled fish pasted on their bodies. One was blowing a trumpet while the other was shouting loudly, "Table number thirteen! Who's table number thirteen? It's your turn! Shenji is calling you to eat fish! Come on! If you miss your number, we'll call the next table!"

The four of them finally managed to squeeze into the crowd, only to find that not only had more tables and chairs been set up at the entrance, but four or five tables had also been temporarily added to Shen Ji's backyard and alley. Many people were already seated, looking on with great interest as they waited for the food to be served.

Aunt Gu from next door carried a ceramic stove, weaving through the crowd to help Madam Chen serve dishes; Aunt Nian also came, helping to clear away bowls and add charcoal; Sister Xiang, wearing a small apron, took advantage of her small size and agility, quickly moving in and out of the shop. She noted down the dishes ordered by each table, then ran to the counter and loudly told the busy older sister inside: "Sister, add another order of grilled fish with fermented black beans! Two orders of crispy grilled fish! Eat all the scallions and garlic, but less spicy!"

In the kitchen, Shen Miao was quite composed. She was simultaneously frying fish in three pans, while You Yu sat on a small stool, working diligently and attentively, scrubbing the dishes so hard that sparks were almost flying from the loofah. Chen Chuan, sitting in his wheelchair, was also busy. He had a wicker basket on his lap and was pushing his wheelchair back and forth from the woodshed, carrying charcoal firewood.

Just then, Aunt Gu was carrying a steaming hot grilled fish past Xie Qi and his companions, heading to deliver it to the table of diners sitting by the door.

Ning Yi peeked over and almost drooled.

The fish is grilled to a golden brown, with glistening charcoal marks from the grilling. It's covered in Sichuan peppercorns, minced garlic, and scallions, and underneath it is a generous amount of vegetables. The spicy aroma hits your nose, and with another sniff, you can smell the freshness of the fish blended with the various spices, which is truly tempting.

There were others around who had already started eating. Ning Yi craned her neck and watched enviously as one of the diners picked up a piece of fish. The fish was so tender that it trembled slightly. As soon as the person put it in their mouth, they exclaimed with delight, "It's really delicious! It was worth the wait."

He wiped his mouth, unable to wait any longer, and pulled Shang An to hurry outside to get bamboo skewers.

Xie Qi stood there alone, his gaze sweeping over countless people, his eyes glancing up briefly and hurriedly amidst the steaming aroma of cooking. The curtains above the counter were drawn for easy serving, and Madam Chen's busy figure was faintly visible through the rising steam.

"Oh dear, Uncle, you haven't settled the accounts yet!"

Suddenly, Sister Xiang shouted anxiously. She chased after a middle-aged man who was trying to slip out of the shop, but she couldn't catch up and almost fell. Fortunately, Aunt Nian next to her caught her and stomped her feet in frustration.

Xie Qi and the others stood at the shop entrance. He came to his senses and, almost without hesitation, reached out and pulled the person who was trying to slip away back.

The man turned around and saw that it was a young, refined scholar. His anger flared, and he shouted, "Let go! Do you know who your grandfather is... Ouch, ouch, that hurts! I was wrong, I was wrong!"

Xie Qi used a little force to bend his arm back, and Ning Yi also kicked him, raising an eyebrow and saying, "Your grandfather told you to pay before you leave. You think you're right to freeload!"

The man hadn't expected such a seemingly frail scholar to have such great strength. With onlookers turning to watch the spectacle, he had no choice but to sheepishly hand over his money and hastily cover his face with his sleeve as he fled.

With the cat tucked in his arms and money in his hand, Xie Qi walked through the crowd, handed the money to Xiang Jie'er, gently rubbed her head, and said with a smile, "Here, put it away quickly. You've become more and more capable lately."

When Xiangjie saw that it was an acquaintance, she immediately smiled and said, "Brother Xie, what brings you here? How has Yanshu been lately?"

"He's doing great. The other day, Qiuhao came home to get some clothes and said he went to the countryside with Eleventh Sister and Grandma to fish for shrimp and fish. They also went to the temple fair. He's having a better time than me. Next time you come home for your holiday, my family will be having a banquet. You and your sister can come to the Xie family and visit him." Xie Qi said, unable to resist pinching her round little bun.

"Brother Xie, there are too many people in front. Shall I lead you to sit in the back? Are you here to eat grilled fish today too?" Xiang Jie nodded, reached out to take Xie Qi's hand, and whispered, wanting to lead him through the back door.

Xie Qi didn't move, shaking his head: "No need. There are many people now, and quite a few are waiting outside. If we, the later ones, go first, we might offend others. Thank you for your kindness, but we have already taken our lots and are waiting. Let's just wait patiently to avoid causing any trouble for your sister."

Xiangjie thought for a moment and then gave up. She whispered to Xie Qi, "Then I'll go and get busy. Brother Xie, please sit and wait a while. My sister at the door has asked someone to buy ten catties of melon seeds and has also boiled a big bucket of tea for those who are waiting. If you get bored while waiting, you can eat some."

Xie Qi smiled and said, "Thank you, you can go now, no need to see me."

Xiang Jie then skipped off to help people order food again.

Over there, Ning Yi had already taken a bamboo skewer and asked the man at the door who was greeting people. He said that there would be about four or five more tables to wait, and it would probably take half an hour. However, the aroma of grilled fish filled the air, and Ning Yi really didn't want to leave. Feng Yuan, maintaining the airs of a division commander, sniffed but didn't move. Shang An also smiled and sat down on a small stool by the door.

Xie Qi pondered for a moment and then came out, but did not sit down. Instead, he handed the cat in his arms to Ning Yi, and then skillfully took out a set of pocket paper, pen and ink stick from Shang An's pocket. He rolled up his sleeves and said, "Waiting here is boring. Xiang Jie is young and I'm afraid she will be deceived. I'll go and help Madam Chen collect the money."

Shang An had a habit of jotting down his inspirations with him, and always had paper and pen by his side. He was heartbroken that Xie Qi had taken them away: "Those are Xue Tao paper!"

But Xie Qi had already turned and entered the shop, leaving only the words: "I'll have Qiu Hao buy two more feet to make up for it!"

Shen Miao was completely unaware of what was happening outside, and was focused on cooking the fish.

Because she had spent the day advertising her services, she had already anticipated such a busy scene. After dropping off Ji-ge'er, she mobilized all her connections and invited everyone she could to help. She insisted on giving Aunt Nian and Aunt Gu a hundred coins as payment, otherwise they would not have accepted it.

The two idlers who greeted people at the door were the ones who helped with the daytime promotion. Shen Miao saw that they were reliable, so he continued to hire them, paying them fifty coins each, and asked them to stay and help in the evenings as well.

Afterwards, he hurriedly borrowed more stools and tables from his neighbors, bought melon seeds and brewed tea. He even used glue to stick table numbers on the tables, and Shen Miao did his best to make thorough preparations based on his experience of opening a shop in the past.

As she predicted, as soon as it got dark, many diners began to arrive.

So from dusk till now, she's been busy without stopping. In fact, in just about an hour, the fish she had prepared during the day was all used up. When she found out, there were only about ten left. She then asked Xiang'er to run errands and ask the fish shop to quickly kill another batch of fish and marinate them, so that they wouldn't run out of food.

A little while later, she finished another grilled fish, poured hot oil over it, and carried it to the counter in front of the window. Just as she was about to call Aunt Gu to take it, she noticed that there were several more pieces of peach-colored paper sprinkled with gold on the counter.

She picked it up and saw that it was written in the familiar, flowing handwriting: "Table Seven, Crispy Grilled Fish with Sichuan Peppercorns, extra spicy, no coriander, two jugs of Cypress Leaf Wine." "Table Ten, Grilled Fish with Fermented Black Beans, double servings of soup noodles, one jug of barley wine." "Table Fourteen, Crispy Grilled Fish with Sichuan Peppercorns, one serving of soup noodles, extra ginger sauce, three jugs of barley wine."

Shen Miao paused for a moment, then looked up and quickly spotted the tall figure in the crowd. He was still wearing the wide-sleeved robe from the academy, but now he was holding a pen and paper, acting as a waiter in her shop. He followed behind Xiang Jie'er, writing down the dishes ordered by the customers while smiling and extending his hand: "Grilled fish is ninety-eight coins, soup noodles are two coins, and barley wine is eighteen coins, which is exactly one hundred and eighteen coins. Please settle the bill first."

Having received the money, he casually stuffed it into Xiang Jie'er's handbag and turned to the next table. With Xie Qi's help, Xiang Jie'er became even more smug, swaying as she walked ahead, as if she had a powerful backer and was no longer afraid of encountering those difficult customers.

Shen Miao lowered her eyes and tucked the papers on the counter into her apron one by one, as if she were hiding this warmth in her heart. Then she turned around and hurried off to get busy.

After a while of being busy, Shen Miao hurriedly asked someone outside to count the number of people waiting. There weren't many fish left in the kitchen, so they couldn't take any more.

Fortunately, it was getting late. Although the shop was still full, there were fewer people waiting outside. Aunt Gu quickly went out and told the man at the door to change his excuse. If anyone came to ask again, he should tell them to come back early tomorrow and not keep them waiting.

After finishing the last table, Shen Miao finally breathed a sigh of relief and was able to take off her apron and come out.

She wanted to find Ninth Brother to thank him, but she didn't see him at all; the shop was only filled with the last group of diners who were eating enthusiastically.

Xiang-jie, however, knew the situation. She jogged over, pulled Shen Miao down to bend over, and whispered in her ear, "Brother Xie and his friends have already gone home after eating grilled fish. He said..."

"Grilled fish is delicious, fried fish is good too, Shen Qilin loves to eat it."

Xiang Jie tilted her head, asking with great confusion, "Who is Shen Qilin?"

Shen Miao's cheeks suddenly flushed, and she stammered, "I don't know either."

Despite her young age, Xiangjie was quite precocious. She frowned and asked inquiringly, "Sister, why is your face red?"

"It was the glow of candlelight that made it red!"

Shen Miao made an excuse to go into the kitchen to tidy up and then fled in panic.

***

For several days afterward, because the grilled fish became an instant hit, Shen Miao slept until late morning, and didn't have time to sell mutton soup and steamed buns at the morning market. She would slowly open her shop at noon, marinating the fish and preparing the vegetables at the same time.

While chopping vegetables, she was still thinking about the future business model.

It seems that she can't manage both the morning and evening markets at the same time. If she doesn't expand the shop or hire more workers, she will have to make a choice. She has only been selling grilled fish for three days, and after deducting costs, she has already earned more than 30 guan. This is because not only is grilled fish profitable, but selling one serving of grilled fish also brings in a lot of drinks and side dishes, which greatly increases the turnover of her shop.

However, this number will likely decrease gradually in the future. After all, this is a new dish, and the number of customers is the highest at the beginning. It will probably drop to a stable value afterward, but that will be enough.

Once the customer flow stabilizes, it won't be as busy as it has been these past few days. However, Shen Ji's reputation has already been established because of its grilled fish, giving it a memorable "signature dish." Therefore, in the long run, the number of people at the night market during peak hours won't decrease much, and she, You Yu, and Xiang Jie'er alone certainly can't keep up with the demand.

Xiangjie is still young, and in the past few years she can only help with small tasks within her ability, such as clearing the table, wiping the table, and sweeping the floor. She can't do much else.

Yu was a kitchen helper. Not to mention that she was somewhat special, once she got busy, she had a lot of work to do. Just the task of tending the fire could keep her occupied, leaving her no time to go to the front.

Especially since the grilled fish was hot and had a stove, Xiangjie couldn't even move it. Shenmiao estimated that she might need two people: one to serve the food and take orders; and another to handle the cashier and accounts. This role used to be played by Jige, who was very good at accounting.

But aside from the night market, if she skips the morning market, there aren't many customers during the day, and she doesn't really need that many people.

After thinking for a moment, Shen Miao decided to talk to Aunt Gu. Aunt Gu had come to help yesterday and was quite adept at handling things. The Gu family's winery was the opposite of hers; it was busy during the day, but not many people came to the night market specifically to buy wine.

With Gu Tusu managing the shop, Aunt Gu was mostly idle at home, except for doing some housework.

The discussion about asking Aunt Gu to come and help out long-term went very smoothly. She even said somewhat shyly, "If you hadn't come, I would have come to talk to you about this anyway."

Yesterday, she helped Shen Miao for an hour and a half and earned a hundred coins. People who carried bags at the docks for a whole day only earned that much. Aunt Gu was tempted. She was idle at home anyway, so she might as well help her eldest sister greet customers. The work wasn't hard, she could earn some money, and it was close to home.

With this extra income, wouldn't it be easier to save money for my second brother's wedding?

The two hit it off immediately.

As for the cashier, it must be someone trustworthy; this needs to be carefully considered.

When Shen Miao returned from the Gu family, her gaze fell hesitantly on Chen Chuan and Xiang Jie'er. With Ji Ge'er away, Xiang Jie'er had been helping her with chores these past few days and seemed to have suddenly grown up a lot.

At this moment, in the courtyard, Chen Chuan sat in a wheelchair, and Xiang Jie'er moved a stool next to him. The two of them were writing on the ground with twigs. Two dogs lay at their feet, swishing their tails.

Recently, for some reason, these two children have started learning to write very diligently. They still have the paper that Ji Ge used to practice writing, so they copy the characters on it and write them exactly. If they don't recognize a character, they take it to Chen Miao to ask how to pronounce it and what it means, and then they practice on their own.

Children have good memories and learn quickly. They can learn up to ten characters a day by themselves.

Shen Miao had initially considered keeping Xiang Jie'er by her side and passing on all her skills to her, but when she saw Xiang Jie'er suddenly trying hard to learn to write from Ji Ge'er, she gave up the idea.

She thought that she shouldn't be the one to decide Xiangjie's life. Even though Xiangjie was still young, she knew to take the initiative to learn to write, which meant that she already had a vague expectation of what she wanted to do.

Shen Miao decided to respect this expectation, and today was the perfect opportunity.

So she half-closed the gate to the courtyard, walked behind Xiang Jie'er and Chen Chuan, and watched them write a word on the ground before gently speaking: "Xiang Jie'er, Xiao Chuan, your elder sister has something to ask you two."

Shen Miao dragged a stool over from the side, sat down, and was able to look at the two of them at eye level.

"Xiang-jie, have you thought about what you want to do in the future?" Shen Miao put her arms on her knees and looked at Xiang-jie first. "Do you want to learn how to cook from your older sister? Or do you want to study? Or do you want to do something else?"

Xiangjie asked with some doubt and self-consciousness, "Can I study too? Aunt Li said that only men can study, and that if men study, they can become officials, accountants, or take the civil service exam. She said that I will eventually get married, so it's no use for me to be literate."

Hearing this, Shen Miao frowned. She guessed it was something Aunt Li had said when she went to play with Li Gou'er sometime that day, and that was how Aunt Li had teased her.

Shen Miao pondered for a moment, not revealing her displeasure, and instead gently coaxed, "What do you think? Is it useful for girls to study?"

Upon hearing this, Xiangjie lowered her head, and after a long while, she raised her head. The usually playful and mischievous girl suddenly became serious and said, "I think Aunt Li is wrong. Studying has nothing to do with whether or not you get married."

"That's right. Studying and writing have nothing to do with whether or not you get married."

Shen Miao was pleased and nodded, patting her head: "As women, our lives are not entirely about marriage, husbands, and children. Your father and mother didn't bring you into this world just so you would become someone's wife or mother. As a woman, the most worthwhile thing to be proud of in life is not marrying a good man, but having your own aspirations and the right to control your own destiny. No woman is born to get married. Xiang'er, whether you understand now or not, remember this. I hope you remember that, regardless of gender, we only have this one life. Time treats everyone fairly, so you must think clearly about how you want to live this life."

Looking into Xiangjie's eyes, she said firmly:

"If you want to get married, then get married; if you don't want to, then stay single. Your older sister would very much like you to study, learn to read or write, or learn a trade. This is not so that you can marry into a good family in the future, but so that you can have the courage and confidence to choose how to live your life."

Xiang Jie nodded blankly, while Chen Chuan remained silent and deep in thought.

Seeing that the two children needed to think about it seriously, Shen Miao didn't ask any more questions, letting them think it over on their own.

Unlike later generations, there was no well-planned nine-year compulsory education at that time. Therefore, children at that time chose a certain path or profession at a young age and went in different directions in their lives.

The initial choice leaves a lifelong mark, making it extremely important. Let them figure it out for now. Young children actually understand likes and dislikes, right and wrong; they're just simple-minded and don't yet know how to express themselves in an adult way.

Shen Miao cut a batch of fresh chives from her own vegetable garden to make lunch. She thought to herself, "Why don't we have chive pancakes today?"

She quickly became engrossed in the joy of cooking again, unaware that someone was loitering outside the back gate of the yard.

After hesitating for a long time, Feng Qiniang decided to secretly come to Shenji Restaurant with only one personal maid to eat soup noodles.

She was desperate to know why Ninth Brother treated this Lady Shen differently. Was it because of her beauty? Or because of her good cooking skills? But no matter how she thought about it, she couldn't think it was the reason why Ninth Brother would treat a woman so specially.

So she mustered her courage and came to find out.

But when she arrived at the shop today, she didn't see anyone. So she groped her way around to the back gate, which was ajar. She was about to knock on the door to ask if anyone was home.

Unexpectedly, before she could even raise her hand, she was stunned into tears by what she heard through the door as Madam Chen taught her younger sister.

Her mother was also arranging a marriage for her, but it wasn't with the Xie family.

She was tormented by the uncertainty of her future husband, whom she had never met, and the thought of not being able to marry Ninth Brother. Hearing these words was like a slap in the face, jolting her awake. It was as if a path had suddenly appeared beyond the cliff.

She seemed to know.

Why does Ninth Brother treat Lady Shen differently?