Chapter 128 Who knows, maybe in the future their Mingyang...

The Ming family regarded the candy as a gift from the gods, and drank the boiled sugar water with utmost care.

Two candies were boiled into a large pot of water, and the taste was so bad that it was impossible to detect anything, yet they still found it delicious.

"No wonder it's a gift from the gods, it tastes so sweet." Mingsheng exclaimed after taking a sip.

"I wonder if this water can grant immortality?" Mingli, the third son of the Ming family, smacked his lips and said.

That's what my family all thinks; something given by a deity must be something extraordinary.

Even if drinking it doesn't prolong life, it's at least good for your health.

Xiang Bei sighed helplessly in the space. It was just ordinary candy; it really didn't have that many abilities.

It can neither prolong life nor reverse aging; boiling such a large pot of it only provides solace to the soul.

Xiang Bei had originally planned to give out a few more candies, but now she felt awkward about giving them out. It's better to have quality than quantity when it comes to things. Her reputation as a fairy was already firmly established among the Ming family; giving out too many would make the gifts seem less precious.

After careful consideration, Xiang Bei took the candy back.

Compared to his family members who drank cautiously, Ming Er picked up his bowl and gulped down the boiled sugar water in one go, then smacked his lips.

She felt that after boiling the sugar in water, it wasn't as sweet as eating it directly, and she couldn't taste the sweet and sour flavor; it just tasted like water.

After drinking the water, Ming'er's family gathered around her again and asked her what she had learned from the female teacher in her dream.

With a deity as a teacher, what you learn must be different from what you learn in a regular school.

Ming Er told his family what he had seen: a huge showerhead, a white fish tank, and a magical device that could dry hair.

The Ming family members were amazed.

Ming Sheng, holding Ming Er sitting on her lap, said with a profound and inscrutable expression, "The things that immortals use are definitely different from what we use. I'll say it again, everyone keep your mouths shut. If anything about Ming Er leaks out, don't blame me for being ruthless."

As she spoke, Mingsheng slammed her hand on the table. She was quite strong, and the slap carried a warning tone. The table actually cracked from the force of her blow.

The Ming family members remained silent, and no one dared to disobey Ming Sheng, the head of the family.

According to Ming Er, the immortals would only bring her to their dwelling and teach her things in her dreams. As soon as it got dark, Ming Er's family would let her go to sleep, and they would not let her do any work on weekdays.

Although she doesn't do any work anyway.

But her family still felt that Ming Er's status was different now. She was a disciple of a deity, and no one else could compare to her.

The family even set aside a room specifically for Ming'er so that she could live alone and not be disturbed by others, allowing her to concentrate on learning from the immortals in the room.

As for Ming'er being able to write his own name, the young scholar from the village head's family told his family about it after he returned home.

When Mingsheng and Old Man Ming went out, they inevitably encountered people from the village who would ask them a few questions.

They had already agreed on a story at home: if anyone asked, they would say that the second sister learned from her older sister, Mingda. Mingda was a scholar who attended the village school; what was so unusual about her teaching her younger sister to write her name?

And that was the end of that matter.

Mingda was also very curious about what his sister's amazing teacher looked like, so he decided to sleep with his sister that night to find out.

However, she went secretly, since Ming Er was the family's precious darling. Even though the two were sisters, they wouldn't let Ming Da disturb Ming Er's studies with the immortals.

Mingda is what he's called at home. He's the eldest son and the eldest grandson of the Ming family. Although his name is a bit hasty, he has a very calm and steady personality. In his daily speech and actions, he always has the demeanor of an eldest grandson.

After she started school, she got a formal name. Her teacher, Ming Nu, said that it was really inappropriate to use a name like Ming Da as a formal name.

What kind of woman would have such a name if she were to take the imperial examinations in the future?

So the female tutor gave Mingda a new name.

Mingzhuo, meaning outstanding.

She liked her new name very much, but her family didn't quite understand it and still called her Mingda.

She'd been called that name since she was little, and she was used to it. Only when she was in class with the female tutor would her classmates call her by her full name, Ming Zhuo.

Mingzhuo lay down next to his sister, wanting to see what a fairy looked like, but he closed his eyes and fell asleep, seeing nothing at all.

When I woke up, I found a piece of candy in my hand.

Ming Er sat cross-legged on the bed watching her. When he saw that she was awake, he immediately smiled and said, "Big sister, you're awake. Tell the female tutor that your desire to learn is commendable. This is your reward."

Mingzhuo knew that the female tutor was the great immortal his sister had mentioned.

"It really is for me." Mingzhuo was overjoyed as she held the candy; she never expected that a deity would reward her.

She held the candy but didn't eat it herself, thinking she would share it with her great-grandmother and mother.

"The female tutor said it's for you to eat. Sister, the female tutor wants you to study hard so that you can pass the imperial examinations and become a high-ranking official." Ming Er stopped his sister from getting up.

After learning the knowledge, Ming'er became a completely different person.

Her speech was somewhat literary, and Mingzhuo was immediately excited when he heard his sister say that.

He passed the imperial examinations and was appointed as a general or prime minister.

That woman was able to resist such temptation.

Women are born to stand tall and make great achievements.

Even the gods blessed her, so Mingzhuo felt that she still had a good chance.

Ming Er looked at his sister and remembered what the female tutor had said to her before he went to sleep.

"Sister, the female tutor may say what she said, but you can't stop working hard just because she said it. What we learn only becomes our own when it's in our minds. You mustn't be lazy and not study."

Mingzhu put the candy in his mouth; it tasted very sweet, much better than boiled water.

She patted her sister on the shoulder, "I know, how could I not study?"

As the eldest grandson of the Ming family, Ming Zhuo was given the opportunity to study, which put a lot of pressure on her. Therefore, she studied very hard and dared not slack off in the slightest.

Now even the gods are encouraging her, filling Mingzhuo's heart with hope. No matter what, she will definitely succeed.

When Mingzhuo changed, the female tutor in the school was the first to notice.

Ming'er's changes were noticed by her former friends. She no longer played in the mud like before, and she became particularly clean, folding her clothes neatly after washing them.

She would bathe and change clothes before going to learn from the female tutor.

When the women from the village came to see her, Ming'er refused them all.

During the day, she had to recall what she had learned from Ninth Sister in her dreams, so she didn't have time to play with her friends.

Ming Er's friends were also quite surprised to see him.

They stood at the Ming family's door for a while before saying, "Have you noticed that Ming Er seems different?"

"Yes, yes, Ming Er is so fair-skinned. She wasn't this fair-skinned before."

The little friends were whispering to each other at the door. Ming'er heard them too. She was holding a twig and writing on the ground.

The matter of the female tutor must not be told to anyone else; this was something Azu had repeatedly instructed her to do. Ming Er also couldn't tell her friends, as she didn't have time to go fishing and steal bird eggs with them in the village right now.

After a while, the women left. They didn't have to do any work; that was the men's job. They could just wander around the village.

The Ming family even set up a special place in the yard for Ming Er to practice her writing.

When Mingzhuo returned, he saw the words Ming Er had written on the ground.

Looking at those characters, Mingzhuo was somewhat surprised. Ming Er had only been learning from the immortal for a few days, yet his handwriting was already so beautiful.

Unfortunately, she sneaked over to sleep with Ming Er at night and didn't see Ming Er's immortal master, so she didn't receive any guidance or learn anything from the immortal.

A few times when she woke up, she saw Ming Er holding candy, unwrapping it, and stuffing it into her mouth, saying it was a reward from the fairy nun.

As they were watching, Ming Er popped a piece of candy into Ming Zhuo's mouth.

"Sister, is it sweet?" Ming Er asked with a smile.

Mingzhuo nodded. "Sweet."

In the past few days, Ming'er has been taking out more and more candy, and the whole family has been eating it. They also know that it is just ordinary candy and has no magical effects.

Although the Ming family knew this, they still firmly believed that what the gods gave them was extraordinary.

Sugar is a good thing, but only wealthy people can afford to eat it every day.

Xiang Bei watched her sisters laughing at each other and laughed along with them.

The book doesn't mention Ming's family much. The opening scene shows Ming Er being taken back to the Marquis's mansion, and her adoptive parents' family doesn't have much screen time until the finale.

Xiang Bei asked the system to summarize the description of the Ming family in the original text. Once, the eldest sister, Ming Zhuo, went to the capital to take the imperial examination, but a flash flood occurred halfway and swept Ming Zhuo away. Her fate was unknown.

When the Ming family learned of this, they searched in vain and finally sent a letter to Ming Er, begging her to ask the Marquis's mansion to help find Ming Zhuo, out of consideration for their sisterhood.

The flash flood came too unexpectedly, and the Ming family did not expect Ming Zhuo to survive. They only hoped that Ming Er could help them, even if it was just to find the body so that they would have a place to pay their respects.

As a result, the people in the Marquis's mansion burned the Ming family's letter of appeal, thinking they were trying to freeload, and didn't even tell Ming Er. She didn't even know about it.

The Ming family waited in vain for a long time and felt that Ming Er was ungrateful and had no regard for the years of affection he had given them.

Mingzhuo's fate was never mentioned until the very end.

The last time she appeared was when Ming Sheng was seriously ill. Before he died, he kept calling out Ming Er's name. Although her family complained that Ming Er had recognized her biological mother and ignored them, they thought that the Ming family had raised her and had called Ming Sheng "Grandma" for so many years.

If Azu were seriously ill, Ming Er should come back to see him if he had any conscience at all.

Clinging to a last hope, I wrote to Ming Er, but to my dismay, the letter remained unanswered.

Unbeknownst to them, Ming Er was at that time helping his younger brother investigate the truth behind the drowning, and still hadn't received the letter.

The letters that were sent were treated as worthless and thrown into the stove to add fuel to the fire.

The Ming family couldn't wait for Ming Er, and Ming Sheng also went. They felt that Ming Er was ungrateful, so they vowed never to associate with her again.

There are no more descriptions of the Ming family after that.

The book states that Zhuo's whereabouts are unknown, but Xiang Bei estimates that he is truly gone, as he did not appear until the finale.

Or perhaps the author forgot about this person while writing.

Mingzhuo seemed to be a very hardworking child, and Xiang Bei felt bad after seeing the description of the Ming family in the original text.

They weren't bad people, but in the end, Ming Er didn't even know about the Ming family.

She had previously stated that Zhuo Neng's claim of passing the imperial examinations was true; her ability to travel to the capital for the examinations meant she had already passed and become a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial-level imperial examinations). Otherwise, she wouldn't have been qualified to travel to the capital for the examinations.

Such a hardworking child was ruined by a plot twist. Xiang Bei didn't know how she could help her, so she gave her a piece of candy.

These candies were not in their original packaging; the system converted them all into oil paper wrappings to prevent the packaging from arousing suspicion.

Now Ming'er doesn't play in the mud anymore. When he has nothing to do, he takes a small twig and writes on the ground under the jujube tree in the yard.

If you write ten characters, the gods will give you candy, all kinds of candy, which dazzles Ming'er.

They also gave her water, water that the female cook gave her, and it tasted sweet.

However, that water was only for her to drink; she couldn't give it to anyone else. She drank it all in her dream, without her family knowing, and she couldn't tell them.

Ming Er was very obedient and showed great respect to his female tutor, Xiang Bei. Every time he came to class, he would respectfully bow to her.

She would carefully keep the candy the system rewarded her with, and then take it home to share with her family.

Who wouldn't be happy to see such a good child?

As a result, this led to such a big misunderstanding with my family.

Every morning when Ming Er gets up, he hands the candy that the female teacher gave him as a reward to Ming Sheng, saying, "Auntie, here you go."

Ah Zu always said that it was a pill given to him by the female tutor, which could grant immortality.

You can tell the female cook that it is sugar, which is sweet but cannot grant immortality.

But Azu didn't believe it, saying that the immortals were just being modest. Even if what the immortals gave her couldn't grant immortality, it would still taste extraordinary. Azu said that after eating it a few times, she felt much stronger and had a lot more energy when working in the fields.

Other family members felt the same way. For example, Old Man Ming said that after eating the candy, his back didn't hurt, his legs didn't ache, and he felt better all over.

Xiang Bei: "..." I'm not being modest, that's just your imagination.

Mingzhuo would still sneak over at night, but Xiang Bei didn't pull her into her dreams, nor could she pull her away.

She and Tongzi tried it, and they didn't need to let Mingzhuo come in with Ming'er, they just let her listen to it once.

Who knew that this place was only for the female lead, and Mingzhuo had no way to get in, not even to hear anything.

Xiang Bei asked Ming Er to teach Ming Zhuo what she had learned.

While teaching Mingzhuo, he can also help Ming'er consolidate the knowledge he has learned.

After a few days, Ming'er did indeed make more noticeable progress.

If Ming Er wants to teach Ming Zhuo, she has to learn it again herself. Only when she has mastered it can she explain it to Ming Zhuo, which will also help her deepen her understanding of what she has learned.

Mingzhuo looked at Ming Er and said, "Didn't your divine female teacher give you a name? A name like Ming Er is definitely not suitable for taking the imperial examinations."

In fact, Mingzhuo had wanted to say this for a long time. When she first entered the school, the female tutor Ming gave her and several other students new names.

Why hasn't Ming Er's female tutor given her a formal name yet?

This question really made Ming'er's little face wrinkle up.

That evening, I asked the system if I could come up with a proper name.

After hearing this, Xiang Bei thought about it carefully and then had the system generate a few words. "Fine, let's choose one, but let Ming Er choose the name himself."

A few words were selected and displayed in front of Ming Er.

Xuan, Jing, Yang, Duan, and Ming Er, the original name of the female protagonist, Hua.

If you're not satisfied, there are other words to choose from.

Let Ming'er choose for herself; she can choose whichever one she likes.

Ming Er didn't know many characters yet, so the system taught her those characters and explained their meanings. After she learned them, the system asked her, "Which character do you want for your name? If you don't like these, I'll teach you other characters, and you can choose one you like for your name."

As the words floated in front of him, Ming Er looked at them for a while and thought they were all quite good. After hesitating for a moment, he finally chose the word "Yang".

Mingyang.

From now on, her formal name will be Mingyang.

Now that he had a famous name, Ming Er excitedly went to find his eldest sister, Ming Zhuo, and wrote his name down to show her. "Look, this is Ming Yang, my name, eldest sister. I'm going to be famous all over the world in the future."

Mingzhuo looked at her and laughed, thinking that his little sister was indeed a disciple of a deity, knowing at such a young age that she would become famous throughout the world.

After showing his name to his eldest sister, Ming Er showed it to the rest of his family, earnestly telling them that his formal name would be Ming Yang from now on.

I heard that the name was bestowed by a deity, and the family even wrote it down carefully. A name given by a deity must be special.

Who knows, maybe Mingyang from their family will become famous in the future.

The family found out that Mingzhuo had secretly gone to Ming'er's room late at night. Mingsheng was both angry and anxious, but he couldn't say anything to his eldest granddaughter.

They kept pressing, "How could you do this, child? What if you offend the gods and they blame you?"

And what if, by some chance, the gods get angry and stop teaching Mingyang to study?

"It's alright, Grandmother. The female tutor won't be angry. She even praised my sister, saying that she is hardworking and ambitious and will surely pass the imperial examinations in the future."

Xiang Bei looked up and tapped Mingyang's little head.

That's utter nonsense. When did I ever say that your older sister would definitely pass the exam?

As she looked at the words floating by, Mingyang didn't recognize all of them, but they reminded her of something similar she had seen not long ago.

Later, she was taken in as a student by the female tutor.

So this is what appears when a deity chooses a person.

It seemed that only she saw the long message; the rest of the family didn't react at all.

Ming Sheng breathed a sigh of relief, especially after learning that the deity had given Ming Zhuo candy. The Ming family felt that the deity also recognized Ming Zhuo, and they even sent over their other granddaughters.

Xiang Bei naturally didn't give them that expectation, but she had Mingyang teach the other children in the family what he had learned in the evenings.