Ye Caiping's expression hardened: "Specific time."

"If nothing unexpected happens, I will take an oxcart to the cloth shop at Chenshi (7-9 AM) tomorrow to buy cloth and make a new robe for Li Zhiyuan."

Ye Caiping understood. Today is July 12th, and there's just over a month until the autumn imperial examination. Li Zhiyuan is getting a new uniform!

Ye Caiping: "Have them keep an eye on things over there and report back as soon as possible. Get ready for tomorrow, and we'll set off at Chenshi (7-9 AM)."

"Also, when I get to the real estate brokerage in the prefectural city, I need them to find me a shop. I'll go take a look tomorrow afternoon. That's my request."

As she spoke, Ye Caiping took a piece of paper out of the drawer and handed it to him:

"After you get back, find my older brother and the village headman and tell them that we're going to the prefectural city tomorrow afternoon to look at some shops. Anyone who wants to come can come along."

"Yes." Shanzi took the paper and left.

...

The next day, in the county town.

Li Jiaojiao and Zhang Shuiniang got off the oxcart and headed towards the cloth shop.

Walking along the road, Zhang Shuiniang complained somewhat:

“Your father sells annotations, earning only four or five taels of silver a month. He has to pay tuition, buy writing materials, and go out to meet with his classmates from time to time. The family is already struggling financially.”

"Why did you bring up making new clothes for the autumn examination? Isn't that just making things worse?"

Li Jiaojiao said with a bitter face, "I just wanted to make him happy. Does Mother want to see his ugly face?"

Zhang Shuiniang was on edge; of course she didn't want to.

Li Jiaojiao looked at her pale face and couldn't help but snort.

Two weeks ago, after returning home from the county school, Li Zhiyuan seemed to have suffered some kind of shock and started acting erratically all day.

Later, Li Ziming secretly told them that a great Confucian scholar, who was a top scholar in the imperial examination, had come to give a lecture that day. However, the scholar was a year younger than Li Zhiyuan, yet he had been a teacher for more than ten years.

Only then did Li Jiaojiao and her daughter realize that Li Zhiyuan, who had always considered himself extraordinary, had been dealt a blow and was driven mad with jealousy.

From then on, Li Zhiyuan became despondent and stopped going to the county school, spending his days drinking himself into a stupor.

When he was lucid, he would smash bowls and kick chairs, his rage as fierce as a wild beast ready to devour people, and no one dared to approach him.

Ten days ago, when the county school noticed that he wasn't attending classes, two teachers came to persuade him, saying that the autumn imperial examinations were approaching and he shouldn't give up at this time.

Then several of his close classmates came and tried to persuade him in solidarity.

They said, "Our kind of people are late bloomers, hiding their talents! Because we mature late, we achieve even greater things."

They said things like, "It's no use being upset now. Everyone feels upset! What, you're so easily discouraged by one setback that you're planning to give up?"

"Fine, go ahead! Otherwise, you'll be a joke your whole life! If you don't want to live like a joke, let go of your obsession, live only for yourself, walk your own path, and continue your dream of scientific exploration!"

"Jiang Taigong did not achieve great things until he was eighty years old, so why should Brother Zhiyuan belittle himself?"

"You are talented! You just haven't shown it yet. You will definitely pass the imperial examination this autumn. Heaven will entrust great responsibilities to those who are destined for them, and will first test their will and strengthen their bodies. This is Heaven's test for you."

With the sincere encouragement of his friends, Li Zhiyuan regained his confidence.

Yes, no matter how capable that pretty boy is, it would be even more laughable if he were to fall down like this.

If he can overcome this obstacle and achieve great things, then that can be called success.

No matter how capable a pretty boy is, he's still just a teacher at heart.

If he can be ennobled and appointed prime minister in the future, he will be able to outshine the pretty boy!

As the saying goes, good food is worth waiting for!

When Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on a person, it first tests their will and strengthens their body.

Think about the humiliation and suffering he has endured in the past year or so, more than he has in the previous thirty years combined.

Why are these sufferings so concentrated?

It must be that God felt his time had come and was giving him a test!

That's just how things are sometimes; before someone can succeed, they're bound to go through some hardships.

Now, the hardship has arrived!

He endured it all and is now waiting for success!

He must pass the imperial examination! He must pass! With his talent and ability, he's sure to succeed!

As a result, Li Zhiyuan worked even harder than before! He even read books while eating.

But her personality became more difficult, and she would get angry over the smallest things.

Thinking about her family's situation, Li Jiaojiao sighed softly.

But her offer to make new clothes for Li Zhiyuan wasn't to please him; it was simply a feeling she had for him.

Lately, I don't know why, I've been feeling restless and irritable, and I want to go outside every day.

Especially yesterday, she was somewhat absent-minded and felt that she absolutely had to go out today.

That's why I suggested getting some cloth for Li Zhiyuan to make clothes.

The mother and daughter went into a cloth shop and ended up buying five feet of gray-white silk cloth.

Zhang Shuiniang folded the cloth, put it in the basket, and carried it out the door, her heart bleeding.

After making this outfit, my family won't be able to eat meat for more than half a month.

“Let’s go home!” Zhang Shuiniang said.

"Mom...we're already here, why don't we do some sightseeing..."

Li Jiaojiao, however, did not want to leave. It was as if some feeling was pulling her back, making her stay.

"What's there to see? I don't have any money to buy anything."

Li Jiaojiao suddenly thought, "Mother forgot that the oxcart won't be back until noon? There's still more than an hour until noon."

Zhang Shuiniang rolled her eyes at her: "How can they be the same? What's the point of wandering around if you're not going to buy anything? You'll just get tired! We might as well go back to where we parked and wait."

"Then Mother, go back and wait. I'll go shopping by myself."

"Okay, okay, let's go for a walk together. But only for a short while, and if you get tired, we can go back and wait."

The mother and daughter strolled along the bustling street.

Suddenly, a dirty beggar rushed out of the crowd and fell down in front of Li Jiaojiao with a thud.

"Oh dear!" Zhang Shuiniang was so frightened that she took a step back.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!