In the golden autumn of August, the weather is clear and cool. On a good day with a bright moon and sparse stars, it would take at most an hour or so to reach the capital at Qiu Ge's flying speed, which is more than two hours. This is the flying speed of Qiu Ge that Jian Ning knows.

Maybe it could be even faster.

Before the two of them were ready to go back, Jian Ning used the fish basket made by Ding Youtian to catch a full basket of small fish called white fish roe in modern times. This kind of fish reproduces very quickly, and the fish meat is firm. Not only does it taste good, but the bones are also soft, so you can eat it directly with the bones and meat.

It is Qiu Ge’s favorite.

Jian Ning stir-fried it with green peppers and shredded ginger, and the four little ones and Qiaofeng all loved it.

At first, Ding Youtian and the Ma brothers refused to eat it, and neither did the villagers in Dingxian Village or the surrounding villages. They called the fish White Lady and believed that eating it would bring disaster.

Later, Ding Youtian thought that his wife and child had been eaten, so if they were to suffer, they would all suffer together. There was no reason for him to survive alone, so he also started eating with his mouth wide open.

Because Ma Fuquan ate white fish roe, the Tian and Ma brothers followed suit, and gradually everyone in the village began to collect white fish roe. To prevent people from stealing fish from the pond, Ding Youtian even built a thatched shed in the pond. Guoguo was thus honored to be the security fruit.

As the sun sets, two people, one carrying a hoe and the other holding a fish basket, walk on the ridge of the field, talking and laughing.

In the evening glow, a red dragonfly flew over and landed on Jane Ning's bun, its wings fluttering in the sunset glow. Jane Ning herself didn't notice it, but Ding Youtian accidentally saw it and thought it was extremely beautiful.

This scene was deeply imprinted in his mind and he never forgot it even after many years.

"Why are you staring at me? There's something on my face." Seeing him secretly glancing at her, Jian Ning subconsciously touched her face. With a move of her hand, the dragonfly flew away.

"I'll only look at you if you look good."

After Ding Youtian finished speaking, he quickened his pace, and Jian Ning followed behind. The wind blew through the fields, ruffling their clothes. The village in front was faintly visible in the rosy glow, and wisps of smoke rose from the roofs of several houses on the hillside.

"Whoa!" A man and a horseman came running down the village road on the left. The official, dressed in messenger uniform, reined in his horse and glanced at Ding Youtian as he walked down the ridge of the field. He clasped his fists and asked, "Is this Mr. Ding?"

"Exactly. But is there any letter for me?"

The messenger dismounted and took out two letters from the leather bag slung across his waist and handed them over. "Yes, one from the capital, and one from Zhuling County."

Ding Youtian took the letter and naturally handed the hoe to Jian Ning. He then asked the messenger, "How did you know it was me?"

The messenger chuckled. There was only one scholar in Dingxian Village. He had heard that Scholar Ding was handsome. Just now, when Ding Youtian came over from the ridge of the field, he guessed it was him at a glance.

"I am good at fortune-telling." The messenger jumped on his horse, turned his horse around and rode away.

Ding Youtian was dressed like a farmer when he went to work in the fields. Even the ribbon he used to wear to tie his hair was replaced with a turban. He was in no hurry to open the letter and took the hoe back from Jian Ning. "What do you mean by fortune-telling? It's obviously because I was born very handsome. I didn't understand a word of praise when I was given the opportunity to praise this scholar. How ignorant."

Jian Ning was about to leave when she heard this. She turned around and squinted at him, "Don't flatter yourself. Everyone in this area knows that Mr. Ding has married a beautiful woman. The messenger only guessed it after seeing me. Wake up and stop being so narcissistic."

"Okay, I'm willing to be my wife's supporting role. Even if I'm a supporting role, I'll be the brightest one."

When he got home, Ding Youtian didn't even bother changing his clothes or opening the letter. He rushed to the east room and quickly drew a sketch of Jian Ning. He took it to the kitchen to show Jian Ning. In the sketch, Jian Ning lowered her head, holding a fish basket in one hand and the hem of her skirt in the other. Her left foot was slightly raised, and a smile played on the corner of her lips.

Jian Ning tilted her head and glanced at his hand, and saw the dragonfly landing on her hair. "Hey, is there a dragonfly landing on my head?"

She took another serious look at it. "Amazing! It's clearly not moving, but it looks like its wings are fluttering. That's right."

"Of course, don't you see who your master's teacher is? You should know that this scholar's teacher..." Before he finished speaking, Qiaofeng brought in a basin of washed vegetables. He hurriedly handed the painting to Qiaofeng, "Feng'er, take a look and see if your master's painting can be called a masterpiece of nature."

Qiao Feng craned her neck to look at the painting, "Wow, Master is so beautiful, so pretty."

Hmm? Ding Youtian glanced at Jian Ning, who was giggling non-stop. He hurriedly rolled up the portrait and left.

"Why is Master unhappy?" Qiaofeng felt a little puzzled. Her Master was good-looking to begin with, so why should she praise him and was she wrong to do so?

"Ignore him. He's angry because you didn't compliment his painting on its quality."

"So that's how it is. I just didn't get the chance to say it yet. Should I praise Master's painting skills?"

"Okay, then let's praise it?"

"Um."

The master and disciple couldn't help laughing when they recalled the way Ding Youtian rolled up his painting. "Your master used to be a bit eccentric, that is to say, he had a bit of a naughty streak, like a naughty boy. Now he's become much more stable, but he still has some childishness sometimes. You should praise him a lot and make him happy. He is indeed a good painter."

"I'm good at this, don't worry, Master. I used to praise people a lot when I was begging with my grandfather. I'm sure I'll praise you so much that your master will be beaming with joy."

Jian Ning's heart ached. He looked at her sideways and said, "Feng'er, from now on, whatever you want or what you want to do, just tell me. I will do my best to satisfy you. As long as Master's family has something to eat, you will never go hungry."

Qiao Feng was stunned for a moment, then she called out "Master" and threw herself into Jian Ning's arms, hugging her waist and sobbing. Ding Youtian came in with the letter and raised his eyebrows when he saw her. "What's wrong? Why are you crying for no reason?"

"I didn't cry, I just shed tears." Qiao Feng quickly pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears. "Master, your paintings are so beautiful."

After saying that, she lowered her head, turned around and ran to the backyard.

"What's wrong with Feng'er?" Ding Youtian asked.

"She's fine. What did the letter say?" Jane Ning nodded at the letter in his hand. "Whose letter did you take?"

"Oh, it's Brother Yifan. He knows I passed the exam and will be going to Beijing to take the exam this year. He said that this year's policy essay might be related to grain, so he asked me to put in some effort in advance."

Just like the Gaokao, teachers and some parents also predict the topic in modern exams, as did students in ancient imperial examinations. If they predict correctly, they can prepare well in advance and be comfortable with their defense; if they predict incorrectly, their fundamental skills will be tested.

"Young Master Qin is a really good person. Since he has reminded you, you should think about it carefully and discuss it with Uncle Liu to see if he has any good ideas."

"Also, what did Huo Jincheng say in his letter?"

Jane Ning asked again.