On the eighth day of the fifth lunar month, the ginseng seeds sprouted. The family watched as the ginseng seedlings gradually grew. "Wife, I'm going to plant the ginseng. We have to plant it while the temperature is still suitable these next few days!"

“Okay, let’s put the shed back up tomorrow!” Chen Yu said.

The rice seedlings grew better and better, and Xiao Fubao, with a touch of childlike innocence, said to the little chili seedlings, "Little chili, little chili, grow quickly! Grow lots and lots of chilies!"

Little "talkative" Fu Bao went through the stories of each and every kind of plant.

The two plots of land behind the mountain are about three acres in size, but before Chen Yu got the seeds, so such a large place can't be left half empty.

So, Niu Da, Niu Cuihua, and Niu Yaba planted some more vegetables in the field, mostly chili peppers.

In the past two years, there have been more and more chili peppers on the market, and chili peppers have become worthless.

Perhaps it was because June was approaching and the weather was getting warmer, but the workers were already drenched in sweat.

Niu Baozhu said, "It would be nice if the weather were a little cooler!"

As she spoke, a gentle breeze began to blow, carrying a slight chill. Niu Da couldn't help but straighten up and say, "Third Girl, you said it's cool, and it really is a bit cooler!"

Little Fu Bao clapped his hands and said:

"The wind is rising! The wind is rising!"

After watering the two acres of land, Niu Da was about to pick up Xiao Fubao and Niu Baolan when Xiao Fubao shook her head and said:

"Daddy works so hard, Little Fu Bao doesn't want Daddy to hold her!"

Niu Da felt a warmth in his heart, patted Xiao Fubao's head, and said, "Our Xiao Fubao is almost three years old now, and he's become sensible! He knows how to care for his father!"

Hearing what Xiao Fubao said, Niu Baolan felt embarrassed and got off Niu Da, then said in a serious tone:

"My sister is right. Father has worked hard, and Baolan doesn't want Father to hold her!"

Niu laughed and patted Niu Baolan's head, saying:

"Our little foodie is getting sensible! Haha! Brother, the vegetable garden is finally done for today, but things will get busy in the fields again. My family is cooking a nice meal tonight, so you and your wife and son can come over for dinner."

The mute ox didn't refuse, and instead smiled and gestured to the ox, saying, "Okay!"

It wasn't because of work that they specifically invited people over for a meal; it was mainly because Niu Yong and Xiao Heng were going home today.

The good news arrived from the county government office a little faster. Niu Da and Shen Yu brought along several people who were traveling with them, including Niu Dayou, the eldest son of Niu the Mute.

Niu Da and Shen Yu squeezed through the crowd and looked at the list issued by the town government. The first name on the list was Xiao Heng, but Niu Da couldn't read all the characters, so he pointed to the top name and said:

"Xiao Xing"

Niu Da heard this again and said, "Uncle Niu, that's Xiao Heng, your adopted son passed the exam! He's at the top of the list!"

Niu Da and Shen Yu laughed together. Then, below Xiao Heng's name, the third name was Niu Yong, a name Niu Da recognized.

Niu Da suddenly jumped up excitedly and said, "I won! I won! My brother won! Uncle Niu, my brother won!"

"I won! I won!" A man in his forties cried with joy in the crowd.

Some were happy while others were sad; among the candidates were some in their fifties who hadn't even managed to obtain the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations).

It's rare for someone to pass the imperial examination at the age of 12. For Niushan Village to produce six scholars at once is a remarkable achievement in the entire Niushan Town.

In the past, these two poor villages, where even scholars rarely emerged, suddenly not only built new houses and schools, but also produced six scholars.

The oldest is the second son of the Ox, who is sixteen years old this year, while the youngest is Xiao Heng, who is only ten years old.

The school in Niushan Village suddenly became famous throughout Niushan Town.

"Honey, let's head home now and have a welcome dinner for my second brother and Heng'er!" Chen Yu said.

As June approached, the weather began to get quite hot. Little Fu Bao said, "Daddy, Mommy, let's buy some ice! When we get back, we'll make chilled melon and put it in an icebox for Uncle and my older brother!"

“Yes, yes, we still need to buy dozens of kilograms of ice. The weather is getting hotter and hotter. In the past, our family was poor and we didn’t have the means. Now that we do, we can’t let our second brother live the hard life we ​​used to.” Chen Yu said.

The Niu family's grain store was managed by Niu Dayou. Although the grain was not much and mostly broken rice, they could still earn two hundred taels of silver a year by sorting it out and separating it into refined rice and broken rice.

The restaurant was managed by Zheng Si, who had two waiters and two chefs. In addition, the restaurant's pickled fish attracted many customers, and the gross income for the year was about four hundred taels of silver.

Although ice is as expensive as gold in the summer, it's not so expensive nowadays. Besides, not many people are willing to spend money on ice, so ice shop owners will give some away as a bonus.

Niu Da and Shen Yu bought more ice this year than in the previous two years, so the ice seller, Mr. Song, laughed and said:

"Boss Niu, what's the good news? Why are you buying so much ice this year?"

Niu Dadao: "My younger brother and the adopted son I took in last year both passed the imperial examination and became scholars. I thought that none of our ancestors for three generations had become scholars, so I bought more! You just need to stock up on the goods!"

Shopkeeper Song bowed and scraped, saying, "This is wonderful news! Wonderful news! Congratulations on your brother's birthday! Our shop is giving you a special gift: a red slip that normally costs ten taels of silver, but since you bought half a cartload of ice today, we're providing it to you for free. And next time you buy ice from our shop, we'll give you a 20% discount." He continued, "You can use it now too! Just register your name."

Niu Da was used to this way of doing business, since his establishment also operated in this manner.

"Boss Song has never dealt with red tickets before, how come he's started doing it this year?" Niu Da asked.

Boss Song curled his lip and said, "To tell you the truth, you know ice is expensive, and everyone knows that most ice is made of saltpeter. How it's made is, of course, not convenient to reveal. But because this stuff is so expensive, some people will take the risk!"

"I don't know who came to town, but in the dead of winter, they had people dig ice from the frigid north and bring it here to sell! They called it 'ice man.' In the past, there weren't many wealthy families in our town, so I sold it all by myself and didn't have to worry about customers." "Those people were just trying to survive, and they were willing to risk their lives for survival, but I also have to survive, don't I?"

Shen Yu went out to take a look. The group of people looked fierce and menacing, which made Shen Yu feel uneasy. She asked, "That used to be Butcher Wang's meat shop. How did it get sold to them?"

"It's not for sale, it's for rent!"

Chen Yu and Niu Da didn't pay much attention.

Niu Da was driving the oxcart, preparing to return the way he came, when Chen Yu said, "Husband, let's take another small path back!"

"What's wrong?"