Chapter 39039 Dumping the Corpse Late at Night

Zhu and Yuan Ping collapsed on the ground like mud, with blood gushing out of their mouths.

Yuan Xue knelt beside them, scooped up a spoonful of meatball soup, and forced it into Yuan Ping's mouth despite his violent struggle.

"Dad, this meatball soup was your favorite. You should drink more this time."

A smile bloomed on Yuan Xue's beautiful face, like a pure white magnolia flower.

"Mother, you drink too." She scooped up another spoonful and poured it into Zhu's mouth. "In the past, when there was something good at home, you always gave it to Father and Big Brother first, and ate the leftovers yourself. Today, you must taste it all at once."

"I told the doctor at the clinic that there were too many rats in my house and I couldn't eat or sleep. I wanted to buy two packets of arsenic, but he refused to sell it to me. Fortunately, there is always a way out. I bought it from an old beggar and added it all to my meal tonight."

Arsenic enters the body and quickly corrodes flesh, blood, and internal organs.

Zhu and Yuanping felt severe pain in their internal organs and wished they could die immediately.

Their tongues gradually became numb and lost sensation. They drooled and could not utter a word. They could only glare at Yuan Xue with resentment.

evil creature!

brute!

Yuan Xue pursed her lips and chuckled, but tears rolled down from the corners of her eyes like beads that had broken off the string.

"Dad, Mom, I originally wanted to honor you well."

"Even though you always called me a money-loser, beat and scolded me, and made me live in the kitchen when there was an empty room at home, I still never blamed you."

"Because I'm a girl, I deserve it, and I accept my fate."

Tears wet her eyelashes, and Yuan Xue's eyes were blurred, and she could only vaguely see the outline.

She paused for a moment, and her expression of grief suddenly became sharp and crazy.

"But you should never, ever sell me to that Chen as a concubine!"

"He is even older than my grandfather. I don't know how many concubines have died at his hands."

"Dad, Mom, I'm only eighteen years old. I don't want to die."

Yuan Xue wiped her tears and suddenly smiled.

The smile was so strange that it made Zhu and Yuan Ping pale as death and terrified.

"Then you can only die."

"It's a pity that my eldest brother is not here, otherwise I would definitely send him to the underground to accompany you."

Yuan Xue put down the soup bowl, slowly stood up, and walked to the only bronze mirror in the house.

This bronze mirror was bought for Yuansheng. He paid great attention to his image when he was away from home. He would comb his hair and tidy up his clothes in front of the mirror every morning.

Yuan Xue only took the photo once, and before she could see her appearance clearly, she was beaten out by Zhu.

"Who allowed you to touch your brother's things? Do you think you can use money-losing goods?"

This was the first time Yuan Xue saw her own face clearly. She looked more like her aunt Yuan than Zhu.

Her eyes are moving, and the small mole at the end of her eye adds a touch of charm.

Yuan Xue took out a pair of scissors and stabbed his left cheek without hesitation.

The crimson spread from the corners of the eyes to the temples, dyeing the cheeks red and wetting the lapels.

Yuan Xue stopped the bleeding from the wound, then went to Zhu's house and found the one hundred taels of silver given by the wealthy businessman named Chen. She sewed it into the lining of her worn jacket, wrapped most of her face with a headscarf, leaving only a pair of empty and dead eyes exposed, then opened the door and walked into the deep cold night without looking back.

Going to the Chen family is a dead end, and killing one's father and mother is also a dead end.

Since we are all going to die anyway, we might as well die in a blaze of glory.

No matter what the outcome is, she has no regrets.

At least she fought.

......

Yuan Sheng and his new friends in Dahe Town drank in a brothel until late at night and returned home drunk.

I raised my hand to knock on the door out of habit, but it was empty.

Looking up, he saw that the gate was half-open. He touched it lightly and it opened.

Yuan Sheng staggered into the room and shouted with a thick tongue: "Dad, Mom, I'm back."

No one responded.

"Did he fall asleep?"

But the lights in the main room were still on. Could it be that Yuan Xue was guarding it?

Thinking of Yuan Xue, Yuan Sheng recalled the look of Master Chen when he saw Yuan Xue during the day, drooling with greed and his eyes were so eager that he couldn't even move them. He sneered in disdain.

If I had known that Mr. Chen liked Yuan Xue so much, I should have asked for more money.

Yuan Sheng burped and stumbled towards the main hall: "Yuan Xue, go make me some hangover soup, I have classes tomorrow... Ouch!"

He tripped over the threshold and fell flat on his face, sprawled on the ground like a turtle. He tried to get up by flailing his arms and legs, but because he had drunk too much, his limbs were weak and he couldn't get up.

I finally grabbed something. It was slippery and had a smell similar to rust.

"What?"

Yuan Sheng muttered and raised his head, then -

"ah!!!"

Blood!

So much blood!

It's all blood!

Yuan Ping and Zhu were lying in a pool of blood, their faces black and purple, staring into the void with their big, copper-bell-like eyes.

Die with eyes open.

“Ahhhhhhh!!!”

Yuan Sheng had lived for eighteen years and had never seen such a bloody scene. He sobered up all of a sudden, and an unknown liquid trickled down his face.

"Yuan Xue! Yuan Xue!"

"Dad! Mom!"

Yuan Sheng crawled out, wanting to report to the police and catch the murderer who killed his parents.

They had already reached the entrance of the alley. When the cold wind blew, Yuan Sheng suddenly calmed down.

The public security in Dahe Town has always been good, and murders rarely occur. Why did Zhu and Yuanping die suddenly?

Where is Yuan Xue?

Where did Yuan Xue go?

He called out a few times, but Yuan Xue didn't respond.

There are only two possibilities.

One is that she was also murdered.

Second,...

Yuan Sheng ran back and searched the three rooms one by one, but he couldn't find even a trace of Yuan Xue.

He suddenly thought of something and rushed to Zhu's room. He pulled out all the clothes in the cupboard like crazy and searched deep inside, but there was no trace of the one hundred taels of silver given by the Chen family.

Yuan Sheng's eyes went dark and dark, and he cursed angrily: "Bitch! Bitch!"

Yuan Sheng stood at the door of the main hall, looking at his parents who had obviously died of poisoning, and a lot of thoughts came to his mind in an instant.

If he reported to the authorities, they would definitely send people to arrest Yuan Xue.

Yuan Xue became a wanted criminal, which was very likely to affect his path to the imperial examination and even his official career.

But in a moment, Yuan Sheng made a decision.

He suppressed his nausea and dealt with the bodies of Zhu and Yuan Ping, moved them onto the donkey cart, covered them tightly with straw mats, changed his clothes, and drove the donkey cart out of Dahe Town, stopping only after he had gone ten miles.

This is a desolate mountain area, perfect for burying corpses.

Yuan Sheng dug a big pit and threw the two bodies into it.

As shovelfuls of dirt fell on Zhu and Yuan Ping, Yuan Sheng muttered, "Dad, Mom, don't blame me. I want to take the imperial examination and become a high-ranking official. This is a great honor for our family. When I achieve success, I will build you a tomb worth a thousand gold. For now, I have to let you stay here for now."

"Ultimately, everything is because of Du Qingtang. If she hadn't stolen the banknotes, Dad wouldn't have gotten into gambling debts, and you two wouldn't have been running around trying to pay off your debts, ultimately being poisoned by Yuan Xue."

"Dad, Mom, don't worry. I will definitely avenge you. As long as Du Qingtang takes part in the county exam, I will anonymously report her disguised as a man on the eve of the exam. This is a crime of deceiving the emperor, and she will be put to death!"

"By then, she will be able to go to the underworld and apologize to you two."

Yuansheng buried the body and drove the donkey cart home.

Just as I got off the donkey cart, a man walked into the alley: "Hey, isn't this the kid from the Yuan family? Where did you come from in the middle of the night?"

Yuan Sheng was almost scared to death. When he looked carefully, he found that it was just a gossipy old woman in the alley, not some monster.

"Something happened at home, so I need to take my parents back." Yuan Sheng wiped the sweat from his forehead calmly, "Grandma Wang, I'm going back first. You should also go to bed early."

Yuan Sheng entered the house with his donkey cart. Mrs. Wang looked at the closed wooden door of the Yuan family's house in surprise: "Why is there such a strange smell?"

Mrs. Wang sniffed but smelled nothing. Thinking it was an illusion, she went home hunched over, leaning on a cane.

-

Time goes back five hours.

Du Qingtang and Fu Wen successfully passed the application for promotion and are now students of Class C.

After leaving the academy, the two went straight to a nearby pawnshop.

In Daxia, there are official and private brokers. The one they are going to is the only official broker in Qingyuan County, where the prices are fair and there is no black box operation.

Du Qingtang explained his purpose and the agent introduced several houses that met the requirements, but they were either far from the academy, far from the market, or the prices were too high.

The broker thought for a moment and said, "I'll keep an eye on it for you for the next two days. You can come back the day after tomorrow to take a look."

Du Qingtang readily agreed and left the pharmacy with Fu Wen and went to the bookstore.

The last time I went to the bookstore, all the calligraphy copies of the Saint of Calligraphy were sold out, and there were only three or five books of arithmetic problems left, and they were quite difficult. Fu Wen was not very satisfied after looking through them. Today, he happened to have some free time, so he decided to go there to try his luck.

If you find something you like, buy it. If you are not satisfied, wait for next time. Although Fu Wen’s arithmetic skills are relatively weak, it is better to have nothing than to have something that is completely suitable for you.

The shopkeeper was impressed by the two young painters. When he saw them come in, he greeted them with a smile, "Young gentlemen, are you here to hand in your paintings?"

Fu Wen shook his head: "Are there any new math problem books?"

Du Qingtang added: "There are also calligraphy works by the calligrapher."

The shopkeeper nodded. "You two have come at the right time. It was just delivered yesterday evening. It's on the shelf on the far left."

Fu Wen thanked him and excitedly pulled Du Qingtang over. He flicked his index finger over the neatly arranged math problem books on the shelf and said, "Qingtang, please help me choose the most suitable one."

Du Qingtang picked two books for Fu Wen based on her current learning progress: "Choose one?"

Fu Wen waved his hand and said, "Only children make choices. I want them all!"

Du Qingtang: "...It's up to you."

Fu Wen picked up two more calligraphy books, and Du Qingtang also picked out an arithmetic exercise book for himself. After paying the bill, they went straight to the noodle shop.

After eating and drinking, sleepiness hits me on time and my eyelids start to droop.

The two hurried back, entered the dormitory and fell asleep.

Half an hour later, Du Qingtang woke up on time, finished doing the arithmetic problems, and then did Liu Tongsheng's test questions.

Fu Wen accompanied them throughout the whole process. Both of them were serious and focused, but they each did their own thing and did not disturb each other.

After finishing the exercises, they started painting. They slacked off a bit during the two days of rest and didn't draw any illustrations. The sooner they finish, the sooner they can get their wages and achieve financial freedom!

Looking up again, the trees and houses outside the window were dyed red by the setting sun. Du Qingtang stood up to stretch his muscles. A large patch of fiery clouds appeared in the blue sky. Just one look at it made him feel refreshed and all his fatigue disappeared.

"It's so beautiful." Fu Wen stood beside Du Qingtang, looking up at the sky, fascinated, and murmured.

Du Qingtang tapped the table with his fingertips. In this colorful evening, he felt a rare relaxed and happy mood.

......

On the other hand, Professor Zhu sorted out the test results of more than 400 students in the four classes of Enlightenment A, B, C, and D, and sent them to the principal Yao Xuan.

In the duty room, Yao Xuan was practicing calligraphy.

Professor Zhu knocked on the door and entered. Seeing the calligraphy on the rice paper with its silver hooks and iron strokes and magnificent momentum, he couldn't help but exclaim in his heart.

It is no wonder that a top three scholar appears only once every several decades. His excellent handwriting is beyond the reach of countless others.

Professor Zhu coughed lightly and handed over a thick report card. "Headmaster, these are the test results for the introductory class. Please review them."

Upon hearing this, Yao Xuan put down his brush and took it to look through it carefully.

When he saw Ding Ban, he asked bluntly, "I don't have much impression of this Du Qingtang."

Yao Xuan paid great attention to students' academic performance and all-round development. He would check the results of students in each class after every test. He knew all the students who were always at the top of the class, but he didn't remember this person.

Professor Zhu explained, "Du Qingtang was admitted last month and was the top-ranked candidate."

Yao Xuan immediately recalled the novel and overly vigorous Four Books essay and said with a smile, "It's quite stable."

The results are consistently ranked first.

Professor Zhu, noticing the headmaster's favorable impression of Du Qingtang, added, "As far as I know, several instructors in Class Ding are full of praise for her, saying she's both civil and military, not only a brilliant writer, but also quite gifted in horseback riding and archery."

"Oh?" Yao Xuan raised his eyebrows in interest. "Is this Du Qingtang really as powerful as you say?"

Professor Zhu spoke candidly, "I haven't personally witnessed her horsemanship or archery, but I have read her writings, which are truly astonishing. She is also very hardworking. I often see her and another student, Fu Wen, reading in the mornings beside the Confucius statue."

Yao Xuan's eyes flashed with surprise. It was them?

"Where there's a will, there's a way. The academy needs promising individuals with determination and perseverance like this." Yao Xuan closed the report card. "I hope she can keep her composure and keep up the good work."

Professor Zhu certainly couldn't answer for Du Qingtang, but like the principal, he had high expectations for her, hoping that she could go further, stand higher, and appreciate more beautiful scenery.

Not only Du Qingtang, he hopes that others can also make a name for themselves.

After decades of being a teacher, this is my greatest achievement.

-

The next day, Du Qingtang got up at dawn as usual and went out for morning reading.

She and Fu Wen occupied the left and right sides of the statue of Confucius, sitting cross-legged with books in their hands and reading aloud.

A man in a brown short-sleeved shirt came jogging over. Du Qingtang didn't know if it was his illusion, but his smile seemed to show a bit more relief.

Relieved?

Maybe it's because he has never seen students like her and Fu Wen, who can study and do morning exercises here on time every day except in rainy and snowy weather.

Du Qingtang nodded, and Fu Wen responded with a pure and harmless Shiba Inu-style smile.

After finishing the radio gymnastics, Fu Wen felt warm all over and was jumping around on the spot, still feeling unsatisfied.

Thinking of the man she had passed by not long ago, she said, "We are so destined to meet that man. We see him every day. But do the craftsmen at the academy have to start working so early?"

Du Qingtang picked up the book at Confucius' feet and said, "There are many craftsmen in the academy, each with their own duties. Perhaps his work requires getting up early? Let's go back."

Fu Wen wiped the sweat from his forehead, and the two of them went back to the dormitory together to wash up, have breakfast, and go to the classroom.

There was not much difference between Enlightenment Class C and Class D, except that most of the classmates were new faces and even the teachers were the same as before.

In this way, Du Qingtang no longer needs to spend time adapting to the new teachings.

Accompanied by the sound of the gong, Teacher Sun walked into Class C.

Very good, the first class in the new grade is Chinese studies again.

Du Qingtang was thinking about making a new schedule before he stood up and greeted everyone else: "Greetings, Instructor."

"Greetings, everyone." Teacher Sun opened the book. "Today we will study..."

Du Qingtang sat down, opened his notebook, and took notes while listening to the lecture.

Two days later, Du Qingtang finished his etiquette class and came to the dental clinic as scheduled.

The broker greeted her with a broad smile when he saw her. "Young Master, you've come at a great time. This morning, an old man moved his family to the capital and left his yard with me. I went to take a look and it definitely meets your requirements."

Du Qingtang and Fu Wen exchanged a glance, their expressions expressionless: "If that's the case, then let's go and take a look."

The dentist rubbed his teeth, secretly criticizing these two young people for being so narrow-minded. His smile widened a little: "Okay, let's go."

The courtyard was very close to the market and not far from the academy, but it was a little smaller. Apart from the main hall and the kitchen, there were only two rooms in the east and west.

"Qingtang, you usually live in the dormitory. The four sisters will have two rooms." Fu Wen avoided the messenger, made a subtle gesture, and whispered, "The most important thing is that the kitchen is spacious enough, perfect for setting up a stall to sell food."

Du Qingtang put his fist to his lips and coughed lightly: "The one who knows me best is Awen."

Fu Wen snorted and laughed, holding his head high and chest puffed out proudly: "That's right, it doesn't matter what our relationship is!"

Du Qingtang smiled, and as he turned to face the broker, he lowered the curve of his lips: "This yard is pretty good, I'll take it."

The group returned to the brokerage firm, paid a deposit, and signed a lease agreement.

"I'll send the deed to the county government office for stamping today. If nothing goes wrong, you'll get it in two days. Here are the keys to the house. Young Master, you can move in now."

Du Qingtang took the triplicate keys and returned to the dormitory, where he spent some time organizing the menu.

You can set up stalls at the county market during the day, and there is also a night market in the evening that lasts until midnight.

Since we need to find something for the girls to do, we have to be busy day and night.

"Sour soup tofu?" Fu Wen saw Du Qingtang writing at his desk. He caught a glimpse of the four words on the far right and came over curiously. "I know tofu, but this is the first time I've seen sour soup tofu."

Du Qingtang paused slightly and said, "I was bored a while ago and accidentally came up with a new way to eat it. My sister will make sour soup tofu later, and you will be the first to taste it."

Its raw materials are the same as those of ordinary tofu, which are soybeans. After being ground into soy milk, sour soup, that is, sauerkraut water, is added to make sour soup tofu.

There is no sour soup tofu in Daxia, but Du Qingtang accidentally found it in a book in modern times. The preparation method is simple and the taste is good. He sells it at a stall during the day, and there should be many people buying it.

Fu Wen couldn't help but salivate when he heard Du Qingtang's description: "Then I won't be polite."

After she finished speaking, she went to the side to draw illustrations while Du Qingtang continued to organize the recipes.

The daytime business is settled, and the next step is the night market business.

Du Qingtang vaguely remembered that barbecue, fried skewers and braised food sold better in modern night markets.

Barbecue and fried skewers have high profits and are popular among the public. There are rich varieties of braised food, both meat and vegetarian, which have a wide audience and the profits are not low.

Du Qingtang plans to make his own starch sausage and stinky tofu.

The raw materials for starch sausage are very simple, chicken and sweet potato starch. If there is no sweet potato in Daxia, flour and rice starch can be used instead. You can use whichever one works better.

Stinky tofu is even simpler. It is made from fermented tofu. Some people like to eat it, while others avoid it. It all depends on personal taste.

Du Qingtang wrote eloquently on several sheets of rice paper. Fu Wen finished an illustration and saw that she was still writing. He said in a hissing voice, "Qingtang, you wrote so much. Can my sisters sell it all?"

Du Qingtang had already made plans and said calmly, "Of course, we won't sell them all at once. We can introduce them to the public as new products at intervals."

These snacks are simple to make, and anyone can make them as long as they put in the effort.

Regularly launching new products can maintain diners' sense of freshness and attract more diners. Why not do it?

"What a great idea!" Fu Wen calculated his own small treasury and said proudly, patting his chest, "I'll try everything when the time comes!"

Du Qingtang raised his eyebrows: "Are you serious?"

Fu Wen swore solemnly: "A gentleman's word is as good as gold and silver!"

Du Qingtang chuckled: "Okay, I'll remember that."

After finishing the remaining recipes, Du Qingtang took out Liu Tongsheng's test paper: "Practice questions?"

Fu Wen: "Come!"

Du Qingtang placed the test paper between the two of them and glanced at the stem of the paper.

“Heaven is merciful to the people. Whatever the people desire, Heaven will surely grant.”[1]

This sentence comes from the Book of Documents, one of the Five Classics. It means that the will of heaven comes from the will of the people, and that heaven will certainly comply with and fulfill the wishes of the people. [2]

This question is very simple, and has almost the same meaning as "People are the most important, the country is second, and the emperor is the least important." It starts directly from the people's hearts and minds.

Du Qingtang picked up his pen, dipped it in ink, and began to answer.

Time passed quietly and inadvertently until the light dimmed. Du Qingtang suddenly looked up and was surprised to find that the sun had set and night had fallen.

"Hurry up and eat. Go to bed early tonight. Ah Wen, please ask for leave from the teacher for me tomorrow. I need to go back to the village and leave before dawn."

"no problem."

Du Qingtang dragged Fu Wen along and ran all the way, filling their stomachs before the cafeteria closed. They returned to the dormitory to continue doing their homework and painting. At three quarters after midnight, they went to the washroom to fetch water, wash up, and go to bed.

Have a good night's sleep.

The next day, Du Qingtang set out from the academy before dawn. There were no ox carts at that hour, so she could only walk back to the village.

Fu Wen stayed up late last night to draw illustrations, and Du Qingtang didn't know when she fell asleep. Anyway, when she washed and changed clothes in the morning, there was no movement in the bed curtain opposite, which showed that Fu Wen was sleeping very soundly.

It was half an hour later when we returned to Taoyuan Village.

Du Qingtang came to the door of the Du family. At that time, the golden crow rose in the east, and a flash of golden light jumped out of the horizon, spreading its light to the earth.

Du Wuya was sleeping soundly when there was a knock on the door. It was Du Liuya who woke up first and hurriedly woke up her fifth sister: "Fifth sister, there is someone knocking on the door."

Du Wuya sat up suddenly, wondering, "Who would knock on the door so early in the morning?"

Du Liuya guessed: "Could it be Tang Ge'er?"

Du Wuya cheered up and quickly got up and put on her clothes: "It's possible, I'll go and take a look!"

She opened the door and saw it was indeed: "Tang Ge'er, how come... did you find a place to stay?"

Du Qingtang nodded: "Fifth sister, hurry up and pack your things and follow me into the city."

Seeing that the youngest girl was sweating profusely from traveling, Du Wuya quickly poured her a bowl of water.

Du Qingtang shuddered as the cold water entered his throat, and most of the heat in his body dissipated.

"The luggage has been packed a long time ago. I'll go wake up Qiya and Baya. Tang Ge'er, you haven't had breakfast yet, right? Liuya, hurry up and make breakfast. We'll be on the road after that!"

Du Wuya arranged everything in an orderly manner. Du Qingtang washed his hands, rolled up his sleeves and went to the kitchen to help.

Breakfast was the vegetable pancakes I made yesterday, served with a bowl of dumpling soup. After eating it, I felt warm and comfortable.

Before leaving, Du Qingtang and Du Wuya took the only remaining pound of bacon in the house and a penny of silver to their third uncle's house.

Du Qingtang explained his purpose: "I plan to take my sister to the city. She will probably be back by the end of the year. In the meantime, I'd like to trouble you to help look after my family's few acres of land."

The Third Uncle accepted the bacon but refused to ask for money: "There's not much work to do in the fields right now, and even if there is, it's just something that comes naturally. Talking about money would be too awkward."

Du Qingtang had no choice but to take back the silver and set off into the city with the four girls and six chicks.

Passing by the old house of the Yuan family, Du Wuya said, "A few days ago, the old uncles of the Yuan family came to us and asked us to plead with the village chief. They said that we are all family and that even if we break bones, we are still connected. If it weren't for their age, I really wanted to chase them out with a broom."

Du Liuya curled her lips: "Tang Ge'er, you don't know, they asked us for help but acted so arrogantly, and when they left, they even called us money-losing goods."

Du Qiya was unwilling to be left behind and said loudly, "Fortunately, I cursed back at that time. I hate people who are rude with their words the most."

As she spoke, she observed Du Qingtang's reaction out of the corner of her eye, her heart filled with anxiety.

She had a nightmare that night, and the same nightmare repeated itself for two days in a row. Du Qiya was so frightened that she suddenly lost her previous obsession and desire for money and wealth.

Du Qiya felt that this dream must be a warning from God.

Looking back at that time, Du Qiya felt both regret and fear. She realized how stupid and reckless her behavior was, and she wished she could slap herself to death at that time.

If Tang Ge'er hadn't stopped her in time, she would have almost died!

But what did she do?

He yelled at Tang Ge'er and talked back to the fifth sister. His mouth was harder than the iron gate and he would never admit his mistakes even if he was beaten to death.

Du Qiya felt guilty and couldn't wait to show herself so that Tang Ge'er would change his attitude towards her.

Unfortunately, things did not go as planned.

Du Qingtang didn't even glance at her. "I've compiled a few recipes. I'll teach you how to make them today since I have some free time. You can find a carpenter or blacksmith to make the things you need to set up the stall. We'll be able to open the stall by mid-month."

The girls looked expectant and kept asking Du Qingtang questions, but Du Qiya was the only one whose heart sank to the bottom.

Tang Ge'er still blames her.

Du Qiya bit her lower lip, almost crying out of frustration.

Du Qingtang glanced at her but did not go forward to comfort her. He selectively answered the girls' questions.

While answering, he was multitasking, thinking of the Yuan family far away in Dahe Town.

Although Yuan Sheng was kicked out of Li's private school and the county town by her, and had to stay in a small town to study and could not even return to Taoyuan Village, she never let her guard down.

Yuan Sheng is a narrow-minded person who often uses shady tricks. She has harmed him to this point, and their relationship has long been a life-and-death struggle. As long as there is a chance, Yuan Sheng will definitely retaliate a hundredfold or a thousandfold.

It is better to be safe than sorry, so Du Qingtang asked someone to keep an eye on Yuan Sheng in Dahe Town and report Yuan Sheng's movements to her every once in a while.

A while ago, Yuan remarried, and Zhu instigated Du Qiya to become the concubine of the wealthy Wang. After that, Du Qingtang received news that thugs from the county gambling house broke into the Yuan family's house and smashed things. It was said that Yuan Ping owed gambling debts but could not pay them back, and kept delaying. The manager of the gambling house could not wait for him to pay back the debt, so he sent someone to remind him.

Du Qingtang knew that Yuan Ping had already known that the banknotes had been stolen and replaced, and in order to take revenge on her, he targeted Yuan and the girls from the Du family.

However, under her strict defense, Yuan Ping and Zhu's plan failed.

They couldn't exchange the girls for betrothal gifts, but they had to pay off their gambling debts, so they had no choice but to sell their daughters.

Thinking of Yuan Xue, Du Qingtang naturally thought of his previous life.

This guy is a ruthless person.

In his second life, Du Qingtang managed to break Yuan Sheng's legs, preventing him from taking the imperial examination.

Yuan Sheng never recovered from this defeat. He spent his days eating, drinking, whoring and gambling, and soon squandered all the family money.

What to do if you run out of money?

Sell my daughter!

With the introduction of one of Yuan Sheng's friends, Yuan Sheng met a wealthy businessman named Chen in the county town. Upon learning that the businessman's two concubines had just died, he couldn't wait to sell Yuan Xue to him in exchange for a betrothal gift of fifty taels.

Yuan Xue was unwilling to marry a wealthy businessman with a bad reputation and countless concubines who had died, so she set fire to the house that night.

Zhu, Yuan Ping and Yuan Sheng all died in the fire. Yuan Xue disappeared, and the government issued a city-wide manhunt for her, but unfortunately, nothing was found, and the case ended up in vain.

In Du Qingtang's view, Yuan Xue is a pitiful and good girl. She is usually a little cowardly, but she can wake up at the critical moment, fight hard, and win a chance of survival for herself.

In this life, Du Qingtang predicted that Yuan Sheng would hook up with the wealthy businessman named Chen, so she asked her people to hand over the arsenic to Yuan Xue.

Just as she predicted, Yuan Xue directly killed Yuan Ping and Zhu.

However, he was young and inexperienced, so he was bound to act without thinking. He only wanted to kill Yuan Ping and Zhu to relieve his hatred, but he forgot that walls have ears.

But it doesn’t matter, Du Qingtang considered this possibility for Yuan Xue.

As a reward for killing Yuan Ping and Zhu for her, Du Qingtang cleaned up Yuan Xue's mess.

From now on, there is no Yuan Xue in this world anymore, only a headless female corpse buried not far from Yuan Ping and Zhu.

Of course, the female corpse was picked up randomly from a mass grave. Although Du Qingtang used a knife to kill people, and although his behavior was despicable and dark, he did not kill innocent people.

So who killed Yuan Xue?

Naturally, it was the only survivor of the Yuan family - Yuan Sheng.

Yuan Sheng concealed the truth about his parents' death from poisoning, allowed the murderer to escape, and buried them in the wilderness.

Even though Du Qingtang was used to big scenes, he remained silent for a long time after hearing the news.

As expected of a member of the Yuan family, he has the unique cruelty and cold-bloodedness of the Yuan family in his bones.

Du Qingtang couldn't bear to see her family separated by life and death, so she decided to be a good person and reunite them.

......

"The oxcart is coming!"

Du Liuya's voice brought Du Qingtang back to reality from her memories. She paid ten cents and took the girls on the ox cart.

It was still early morning and there were only a few people on the ox cart.

Du Qingtang closed her eyes and silently recited the Four Books and Five Classics, when she suddenly noticed a sticky gaze falling on her.

When I opened my eyes, a dark, disgusting old face came into view.

It turned out to be Liu Tiezhu, the widower who killed Du Wuya and Du Liuya.

He was looking at the girls of the Du family with lustful eyes. The girls noticed it but didn't know what to say. Their faces flushed and they sat there uncomfortably.

Du Qingtang's face turned cold, he lowered his eyelashes, took aim, and stepped down hard.

"Ouch!" Liu Tiezhu screamed while holding his right foot, "Which bastard stepped on me?"

"Not me."

"It's not me either."

Liu Tiezhu cursed and suddenly met Du Qingtang's eyes which were filled with cruelty. A chill rose from the soles of his feet, as if he was in a deep cold pool, and he shivered uncontrollably.

She was warning me.

Liu Tiezhu swallowed his saliva, shrank to the edge in fear, and didn't dare to look again.

Listening to the breathing sounds coming from beside him, Du Qingtang closed his eyes slowly, hiding his achievements and fame.

Since my rebirth, I have been busy dealing with the Yuan family and the Yuan family, and I forgot about this thing.

But it’s still not too late to clean up now.

.......

On the other side, in Taoyuan Village, not long after Du Qingtang left, Aunt Du came over carrying half a basket of eggs.

"Wu Ya! Liu Ya! Qi Ya! Ba Ya! I'm your second aunt, come and open the door!"

That day, she was determined to get the house. After returning home, Aunt Du saved up more than ten eggs and brought them over despite the pain.

You can't catch a wolf without sacrificing a child. Eggs are not as valuable as bricks and tiles. Let's coax these girls first.

However, after knocking on the door for a long time, no one responded.

Aunt Du shook her sore hand and said, "Could it be that she hasn't woken up yet? A house full of lazy women. Any man who marries them will be unlucky for eight lifetimes."

Just as he was muttering unhappily, a voice came from the side: "Stop knocking, they're not here."

Aunt Du turned around and saw Uncle Yuan from next door: "He's not here? He went out to work so early?"

Uncle Yuan Wu shook his head: "They are not working. They left with their bags. I guess they went to the city with the youngest."

Aunt Du was dumbfounded. "What? Going into the city? Then are you coming back?"

"How would I know? Du Qingtang is studying at Qingyuan Academy. If you have anything important, you can go directly to her."

Uncle Yuan Wu was over fifty years old, so how could he not see what she was planning? He was also happy to make trouble for the girls from the Du family, because they were the ones who drove away the Yuan family's Qilin'er.

It's a pity that Second Aunt Du is a weak person. She has lived in the countryside for half her life. Even if she wanted to take over the things of the eldest wife, she didn't dare to go to Qingyuan Academy where scholars gathered. She responded with "hmm" and "ah" but in her heart she was thinking about waiting for them to come back.

-

The ox cart arrived at the county town, and Du Qingtang brought the girls to their residence.

The house had not been lived in for some time, and there was a layer of dust and some cobwebs in the corners. The girls put down their bags, rolled up their sleeves, settled the chickens, took out rags and water, and cleaned the house inside and out until it was spotless.

After finishing, they had no time to rest and urged Du Qingtang to teach them how to make snacks.

There is nothing wrong with the braised food, mainly the preparation of sour soup tofu, stinky tofu and starch sausage.

Buy ingredients, prepare ingredients, and teach one-on-four until dark.

“That’s about it. It may be a little complicated at first, so take your time and don’t rush. Only start selling when you’re fully proficient.”

"Okay, I'll listen to Tang Ge'er." Du Wuya was busy and sweating. Looking at the table full of the results of her hard work for several hours, she felt proud and proud. "Tang Ge'er is really amazing. I have never seen these snacks in my life."

Du Qingtang said calmly, "I started thinking about it a long time ago."

Du Liuya stuffed a ball of braised pig's trotters into the mouths of her seventh and eighth sisters, chewing on it herself with great pleasure. She said in a slurred voice, "Tang'er, there's still some pig liver left to braise. How about having pig liver noodles tonight? Your eighth sister cooks, and she makes the best noodles."

Du Baya nodded, her mouth full of grease, feeling extremely satisfied.

"No, the academy is about to close. I have to go there quickly and come back in a few days." Du Qingtang took a piece of cake to fill his stomach and ran all the way to the academy.

After rushing and hurrying, we finally arrived at the academy before Grandpa Liu closed the door.

Grandpa Liu saw Du Qingtang panting and waved his hand, saying, "Walk slowly, there's no hurry. Look at how sweaty you are."

Du Qingtang chuckled and walked instead of running after entering the academy, chewing the biscuit slowly in the night.

By the time he reached the dormitory door, he had finished eating the pancakes.

“Knock knock knock—”

After three calls, Fu Wen opened the door and smiled when he saw who it was. "Qingtang, you're finally back."

Du Qingtang hummed, "It took me three or four hours just to teach them how to make snacks, which is why it's been delayed until now."

Seeing her chapped lips, Fu Wen quickly poured her a glass of water and handed it to her: "Qingtang, drink some water. Here are today's notes. Take a break first, and then you can organize and copy them."

Du Qingtang held a teacup in his left hand and a notebook in his right hand, and replied with a smile: "Thank you, Awen."

Fu Wen smiled and said, "As I should."

After drinking some water, Du Qingtang took a short break, opened his books and notebook, and began to organize what he had learned in today's class.

"By the way, Qingtang, only Instructor Sun left any homework today. Remember to do it."

"Yeah, I understand."

Du Qingtang wrote furiously, quickly organized his notes, thoroughly absorbed the knowledge that Teacher Sun had taught in class, and then set about completing his homework.

She didn't do any more exercises tonight, but instead finished drawing the last illustration so that she could hand it in at the bookstore tomorrow.

At the end of the hour of Hai, Du Qingtang washed his brush, hung it on the brush holder to dry, went to the bathroom to fetch water to wash, and fell asleep after going to bed.

The next day, I had Chinese studies and horse riding and archery classes in the morning. After class, I took a half-hour nap. Then, since I had no classes in the afternoon, I went to the bookstore to hand in the painting.

The boss was away, so the shopkeeper gave each of them two hundred and forty-six coins.

"A new batch of books arrived yesterday. Would you two young gentlemen like to take a look?"

After a round of shopping, Du Qingtang bought a book of poetry and prose. She was good at classics and policy essays, and poetry and prose had always been her weak subjects. Fu Wen bought a book of classics and a book of policy essays.

"It just so happens that my poetry is pretty good, and Qingtang, your interpretation of the classics and policy essays are far better than mine. Let's review each other's works and fill in the gaps."

"That's great."

......

Ten days passed in a flash.

Du Qingtang finished a book of poems and essays, and the four girls also successfully completed their apprenticeship.

When leaving in the evening, Du Qingtang did not forget to pack a portion of sour soup tofu and fried skewers for Fu Wen.

The fried skewers include both meat and vegetarian options. The meat ones are starch sausage and chicken strips, while the vegetarian ones are seasonal vegetables such as chicken feathers, cabbage, leeks, garland chrysanthemums and mushrooms.

Fu Wen was stunned when she received the food, but then she was so moved that her eyes welled up with tears: "Qingtang, you are so kind!"

Du Qingtang held up his chin and said, "Eat quickly. I left home right after it came out of the pot. It must be a little cold by now."

"It's okay, we can eat it even if it's cold." Fu Wen picked up a fried chicken strip, took a bite, and his eyes suddenly widened. "Qingtang, is this really chicken? It's crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, it's so delicious! And the powder coating it is a bit sour, but it tastes very appetizing. I can eat ten of them in one go!"

"Eat more if you like. These are all yours." Du Qingtang pushed the food box in front of her. The sour powder was plum powder, which was a perfect match with chicken cutlets and chicken fillets.

"Okay, then I won't be polite." Fu Wen said and started to eat with relish.

After she finished eating, Du Qingtang asked, "How is it? Does the food need any improvement?"

Fu Wen shook his head. "Even someone like me who doesn't have much of an appetite can't help but salivate, not to mention those gourmets who frequent the night market all year round. Qingtang, just keep your heart at ease. The demand will definitely outstrip the supply."

Du Qingtang smiled and said, "Then I'll borrow your good words."

"Just tell me the truth." Fu Wen scratched his head embarrassedly. "By the way, when will the sisters' food stall open? I can go over there early to help."

"No need." The light in Fu Wen's eyes dimmed instantly, and Du Qingtang said, "But I have another matter to trouble you."

Fu Wen's eyes lit up again and he stepped forward to whisper.

.......

Two days later, the cart that Du Qingtang had customized was ready.

After discussing it, the sisters decided to set up the stall tonight.

As the sun sets and night falls, the nightlife of the people in Qingyuan County has just begun.

There is a wide variety of food on display at the night market, and the sounds of hawkers are endless.

“Glutinous rice, fragrant glutinous rice!”

“Omelettes, freshly made omelettes!”

"Tang Haws, selling Tang Haws! Sir, buy some for your son!"

Du Qingtang paid the stall fee and pushed the cart to the designated stall with four girls.

All the ingredients have been prepared. Du Wuya and Du Liuya are responsible for making fried skewers, Du Qiya and Du Baya are responsible for selling fried skewers and braised food, and Du Qingtang is good at arithmetic and is responsible for collecting money.

Du Wuya took a deep breath: "Are you ready?"

"Ready!" the three girls said in unison.

"Then let's get started."

Du Wuya and Du Liuya put the meat and vegetables skewered on bamboo sticks into the oil pan and took them out when the time was up.

There were not many fried skewers in the first batch, two skewers of each type, one sprinkled with secret powder and one coated with secret sauce.

When the wind blows, the fragrance rushes into the nostrils of passers-by.

"What smells so good?"

"What an overbearing aroma!"

The customers looked around and finally fixed their eyes on the stall with the sign "Du Ji Snack Stall".

The snacks placed on the tray turned golden yellow after being fried at high temperature. Each one was covered with powder and sauce, and was crystal clear under the moonlight. Intertwined with the burnt aroma of fried food, it was undoubtedly a feast for the eyes and taste.

"We're selling fried sausages, fried chicken strips, fried mushrooms, fried leeks... fried stinky tofu!"

"What would you like to eat, gentlemen? A meat stick is two cents, and a vegetable stick is one cent."

The crisp female voice brought everyone back to reality from the feast, and they were shocked to realize that they had arrived in front of Du Ji Snack Stall without knowing when.

The bearded man in the middle touched his nose and pointed at two random people: "Add more sauce."

Du Qiya spread a layer of sauce on the starch sausage and chicken strips: "Sir, here are your sausages and chicken strips."

"Sausage? This is the first time I've eaten this." The bearded man paid and bit off half of it. After chewing it for a bit, he suddenly opened his eyes wide, as if in disbelief. He opened his bloody mouth again and swallowed the remaining half in one gulp. "This sausage is really delicious! Two more, one with powder and one with sauce!"

Du Wuya was overjoyed and quickly fried the starch sausage.

When others saw it, they were skeptical: "Is it really that delicious?"

The bearded man patted his chest and said gruffly, "It's delicious. You're a puppy if you lie."

Everyone laughed and took a deep breath of the aroma, but in the end they couldn't resist the temptation of the food.

"I want two fried chicken wings."

"I want a fried chicken drumstick and a chicken strip."

"I don't eat meat, give me one of all the vegetarian ones!"

In just over half an hour, most of the ingredients they had prepared were gone.

But there are always exceptions, such as stinky tofu, which doesn't taste very good and no one wants to eat it even if it is covered with sauce and sprinkled with chopped green onions and coriander.

The guests had tried other fried skewers and couldn't stop eating after just one bite. They wanted to eat a second one, especially the bearded man at the beginning, who had more than 20 bamboo sticks in his hand.

But when it comes to stinky tofu, they are disgusted at the sight of it, fearing that it will affect their appetite.

Until a young man in a blue and white college uniform appeared in front of the Du Ji snack stall, pointed at the neglected black thing on the tray and asked, "What is this?"

Du Wuya quickly introduced: "This is fried stinky tofu."

The boy handed over the copper coin: "Give me one."

The guests nearby were shocked and quickly grabbed her: "Are you crazy? You're eating something so smelly!"

Du Wuya wanted to explain, but when she smelled the stinky tofu, she didn't know where to start.

Even though she believed in Tangger, she initially thought it was just Tangger's bad taste.

Can something so smelly really taste good?

Facts have proved that no one can escape the law of true fragrance.

The girls held their breath and took a bite with the heroic determination of never returning. Then they couldn't stop and ate several pieces in a row.

It smells so good!!!

Thinking of this, Du Wuya said with a solemn oath: "My dear young master, I can assure you that it is really delicious. If it is not delicious, I won't charge you."

"The fried stinky tofu is ready, please enjoy your meal, sir." Du Liuya handed the freshly fried stinky tofu to the young man.

Except for the young man, everyone else pinched their noses and took several steps back.

"Little girl, if you keep selling this, no matter how delicious your other dishes are, no one will come to buy them. They'll all run away because of the stench!"

“That’s right!”

"Oh, I told you not to eat it, why are you still..."

The boy turned a deaf ear and took a bite under the horrified gaze of everyone.

The next moment, he smiled broadly, and his look of satisfaction was jaw-dropping.

Is there something wrong with this person's brain?

"I knew this thing smelled bad but tasted delicious. It's the most delicious thing I've ever tasted. Give me another portion. I want to take it back to the academy and savor it slowly."

The girls looked at each other and said happily, "Okay!"

The bearded man stroked his chin thoughtfully and asked the young man, "Are you serious?"

The boy nodded: "From the bottom of my heart."

The bearded man hesitated for a moment and said, "Girl, give me one portion too. I want to taste what it tastes like!"

Du Qingtang took the copper coin, and under the shadow of his eyelashes, there was a smile that was so thick that it could not be dissolved.

Two servings of fried stinky tofu came out of the pot, the young man walked away, and the bearded man tried it on the spot.

Everyone watched without blinking as he picked up a piece of stinky tofu with a bamboo skewer, threw it into his mouth, and chewed it.

"Is it delicious?"

The bearded man did not answer. Instead, he screamed, covered his mouth, and closed his eyes.

Everyone was shocked, and the girls from the Du family turned pale, their hearts in their throats.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Is he poisoned?"

Just as he was hesitating whether to send the man to the clinic, the bearded man suddenly opened his eyes and laughed out loud: "Delicious! So stinky and fragrant!"

Everyone: “???”

The bearded man was met with dozens of confused eyes, and then saw the relieved expressions on the faces of the girls setting up stalls. He seemed to understand something and laughed dryly: "I was just joking, isn't it funny?"

Everyone: “…”

Du Qingtang: “…”

Four girls: “….”

It's so funny, I almost thought I was responsible for someone's death.

A silent awkwardness spread in front of the Du Ji snack stall. After a brief silence, someone asked, "Is it really as delicious as you say?"

When the bearded man is in high spirits, he tends to lose himself in the moment. He feels guilty and praises the taste and texture of this unprepossessing stinky tofu almost to the heavens.

Finally, he smiled and said, "If you are really curious, why not try it yourself?"

"Forget it, give me one."

"Give me two servings of stinky tofu to take home for my daughter to try. Also, give me two pounds of braised pork offal to serve as a snack tomorrow."

"You're not buying it for your son?"

"What's the brat going to eat? My daughter is spoiled, and as long as my son is alive, that's enough."

Everyone laughed so hard that they fell over, and they didn't forget to spend a few coins to give it a try.

Suddenly, there were twenty or thirty more portions of stinky tofu, and Du Wuya and Du Liuya's hands almost flew out with afterimages.

Du Qiya and Du Baya wrapped the stinky tofu in oil paper and handed it out with bamboo sticks: "Eat slowly, it's a little hot."

Diners squatted on the roadside holding stinky tofu, picked up a piece with bamboo sticks and put it in their mouths, chewing it regardless of the disgusted looks of passers-by.

“It’s quite delicious.”

"Why does it smell so good and so stinky?"

The other diners who were watching couldn't help swallowing when they saw this.

"I'll have one too."

"And me."

The Du Ji snack stall was packed with people, and the surrounding vendors looked at the few people in front of their stalls with jealousy in their eyes.

What’s even more abominable is that even these customers came from Du Ji next door!

"Don't be impatient, come one by one."

The girls were laughing so hard that they couldn't stop. Even though they were sweating, their arms were sore, and their throats were hoarse and they couldn't speak, they didn't feel tired at all.

It was because the crisp sound of the copper coins falling into the coin box was the most beautiful sound they had ever heard, no doubt about it!