Little Fu Bao's eyes lit up. Little Mu is just as cute as Old Mu!

However, it's not like she's short of money; she felt bad about spending his money!

Then, I'll make a few more for him to eat tomorrow!

At this time, Grandpa Zhuo and his second uncle were already fast asleep. Little Fu Bao only made two steamed buns during the night.

The steamed buns are filled with chives and eggs.

She mixed some dough with cornmeal and beet juice, and sculpted two little figures: one was a young man who had passed the imperial examination with top honors, and the other was her in a red gauze dress, with him carrying her on his back.

I chopped some scallions, ginger, and garlic, and poured in some spinach juice. I made two green-patterned buns with egg and chive filling, and another bun with a red carp on it.

She originally wanted to sculpt a "Toad Climbing the Dragon Gate" figure, but that was more complicated than a carp figure, and she was afraid her little brother would fall asleep while waiting, so she only sculpted a carp leaping over the dragon gate.

The shopkeeper was amazed by the young girl's skill in making steamed buns. He thought that if his family could make these buns, they would surely be loved by many customers.

"Young lady, I was wrong before. I would like to ask you how you do this?" the shopkeeper asked.

"The color is easy to make; it's just made by mixing colored vegetable juice with flour. But shaping it into flower patterns is incredibly difficult. I started learning from my mother when I was three years old, and it took me two years."

In fact, Xiao Fubao only studied for a few days in her dream. She just didn't want to teach the shopkeeper, and she didn't want to offend people everywhere, so she said that.

The shopkeeper is a smart man; he'll probably be able to figure out the simpler shapes very quickly.

Looking at the two small figures in red, Xiao Heng felt a warm current flow through his heart. This little girl, she really doesn't know what it looks like when the two of them are both dressed in red...

Looking at the two little figures on the bun, he felt that something was missing... so he took out the little girl's red bib, cut off a small piece, and put it on the little girl's head on the bun.

When Mu Yang received the small steamed buns, he was also surprised. His steamed buns were all green, decorated with osmanthus flowers or carp leaping over the dragon gate.

"Who made this?" Mu Yan asked the boy beside her.

The boy replied, "Yes."

"She's quite skillful; no wonder Xiao Heng took her along."

Clearly, Mu Yan mistook Xiao Fu Bao for Xiao Heng's maid. Seriously... which family's maid is as pretty as her!

The prefectural examination was held in the office of the vice-prefect.

The government office of the governor of a prefecture was quite spacious and imposing, with two dark yellow dragons standing on the roof, which was covered with bright yellow tiles.

Under the eaves were magnificent palaces and pavilions, and outside the venue was a large open courtyard with stone houses built for the candidates to take the imperial examinations.

Xiao Fubao and Ya Tou couldn't get in either, so early in the morning they steamed dozens of unfilled sweet buns and made dozens of pancakes.

They also added some millet.

For Grandpa Zhuo, Second Uncle, and her little brother.

The pancakes and steamed buns were all broken open and inspected by the yamen runners at the gate to prevent the examinees from smuggling cheat sheets.

The constables on the first floor who were in charge of inspection checked all the food brought by the candidates.

Of the six yamen runners on the second floor, two stayed behind to guard the gate, while the other four led the examinees to a small, enclosed room. When they came out, the examinees were all straightening their clothes.

Xiao Fubao said to Xiang'er:

"I'd heard before that checking test takers for cheat sheets involved even checking their butts, and it turns out it's true!"

Although Xiang'er was married and had children, she was still sixteen or seventeen years old and blushed a little, saying:

"Girl, what kind of nonsense is that? It's really unpleasant to hear."

The little girl was too young to understand what elegance was, but after Xiang'er spoke to her, she knew that these were things that couldn't be said casually.

Xiao Fubao and Xiang'er did not leave.

Instead, they went through the side gate to find Ji Ninghai.

She hadn't seen her godfather in a long time and missed that handsome old man quite a bit.

Ji Ninghai had no idea that, at only thirty-something years old, he had already been labeled an old man by Xiao Fubao…

There were eight examiners present, including Ji Ninghai, his chief clerk, and the magistrates of six counties.

Ji Ninghai, as the chief invigilator, was taking a short rest in his seat after making several rounds of the examinations when the little girl peeked out:

"Godfather"

Ji Ninghai looked around and spotted Xiao Fubao's little head. A smile instantly spread across his face. "Little girl, come here and let your godfather give you a hug. Have you gotten any fatter?"

Just as Ji Ninghai was about to reach out and hug Xiao Fubao, a commotion suddenly came from the examination room. "You little rascal, how dare you cheat right under my nose!"

Ji Ninghai rushed over before he could even hold Xiao Fubao, and said:

"What happened?"

"Your Excellency, this person smuggled some of the contraband into the examination hall by sewing some into the skin of his buttocks and hiding the rest inside his wig."

Xiao Fubao was a little shocked. This person is ruthless! Stitching it into the skin, doesn't it hurt? With that kind of pain tolerance, why doesn't he study hard?

The yamen runners in charge of the inspection were so thorough, yet they still couldn't find it. With that kind of brains, why doesn't he study properly?

It's a waste of your intelligence to use it for good.

The man suddenly knelt down, tears streaming down his face, and kowtowed, "Examiner, please give me another chance! I've failed the exams for years, which is why I resorted to this crooked method. I know I was wrong."

Jining Road:

"Cheating in the imperial examinations is punishable by the loss of one's academic title and a lifetime ban from the examination hall; the most serious offenses are execution and confiscation of one's property. You dare to cheat under the noses of seven or eight examiners? You've got some nerve!" "There are plenty of people in their sixties and seventies taking the exams. If everyone did what you did, what would become of us?"

"Guards, drag him out! Strip him of his scholar's degree and banish him from ever taking the exam again!"

This incident terrified all the candidates.

Xu Zhen winked at Liang Xiucai, who pondered to himself, "Since Xu Zhen wants to frame Xiao Heng and curry favor with Mu Yan, why doesn't he step forward himself?"

Why do we have to drag him along?

Could it be that he wants to use me as a scapegoat?

Instead, we might as well turn the tables on them.

"Your Honor, we, Scholar Xu and I, wish to report someone for cheating," Scholar Liang said. "We suspect, based on Scholar Xu's account, that Young Master Xiao and Young Master Mu, who entered the examination hall with us, used the 'revealing method' to smuggle in cheat sheets." "Scholar Xu can testify to this."

Xu Zhen said:

"Yes, I saw Xiao Heng put his clothes in the water, and the words on the clothes appeared."

Liang Xiucai looked around at the seats, then glanced at Xiao Heng's seat, thinking to himself: His stupidity is just an act; I never thought someone could be genuinely stupid, so stupid yet still wanting to do evil...

As long as no evidence can be found.

Then the examiner would not convict Xiao Heng and Mu Yan. Even if it was a false accusation, he would at most be criticized, while Xu Zhen's fate would be much worse.

Moreover, Mu Yan would later believe that Xu Zhen was trying to frame him, and that Liang Xiucai was merely being manipulated and misled by others.

Xu Zhen was slightly surprised. He didn't expect that this scholar Liang was even more ruthless than himself, and that he even wanted to frame Mu Yan as well.

"What evidence do you have?" Ji Ninghai asked.