Hua Ciyuan will take the provincial examination in April, and the results will be announced in the next few days.

Hua Shi sat at the table, a collection of poems in hand, and asked uncertainly, "Dad, are you saying that you want to go out and take a look at the notices that will be posted in the next two days? And that I should keep it a secret from Grandma?"

Hua's father nodded softly, looking uneasy. His hands on his knees wrinkled his sleeves, which had been washed white.

Hua Shi noticed his uneasiness and confusion and deliberately asked, "Why? Didn't you say there was a high chance of winning this time?"

It is clear that Hua Ciyuan is Li's only son, but Li does not seem to dote on him. Apart from paying for his studies, she treats him very poorly in terms of food and clothing.

It was as if... Li Shi only used him as a tool to gain fame...

At the moment, in her opinion, the entire Hua family is very weird.

Hua's father was very afraid of Li, but he also listened to her very much. If Li told him to go east, he would never dare to disobey.

He was obviously the father of five children, but he did not act like a father at all. His four children were hungry and cold, and were skinny and miserable, but he pretended not to see it. His mind was only on the books of sages.

Very strange.

After hearing what Hua Shi said, Hua's father stammered, wanting to say something but stopping himself, "What if it doesn't work...you take care of her..."

Hua Shi saw his confusion and worry, and knew what he was afraid of.

Li was very concerned about Hua's father's success in the imperial examinations. Hua's father had been studying for over thirty years, and he had taken the exams every three years over a dozen times, but he hadn't passed once...

If he fails this time, one can imagine what Li's expression will be. He will be scolded and the double torture of physical and mental will make him miserable.

Hua Shi lowered his eyes in thought, then said tentatively, "Dad, why are you so obsessed with passing the imperial examinations? I've never seen anyone in our village pass them. They gave up after failing once or twice, and you..."

Before Hua Shi could finish his words, his father seemed to have been hurt. He stood up suddenly, his face flushed red, and pointed at Hua Shi, scolding, "Shut up! It's not your place to point fingers at me! Get out!"

Hua Shi was stunned and had no idea what was going on when his father angrily drove him away.

She was just trying to persuade Hua's father that if he couldn't pass the exam, he might as well give up. Why bother hanging himself on a crooked tree...

Obviously, Li's control over him was deep-rooted, and Hua Ciyuan had become obsessed with passing the imperial examinations.

Failing to pass the exam was his biggest pain...

Hua Shi was increasingly confused about what this family was doing. His stomach growled again, so he walked around the corner to the front yard.

The front yard was empty. Mrs. Li was out, Hua Li went up the mountain to collect grass for the pigs, and Hua Xiao should have taken Hua Ying to collect firewood.

Suddenly, a series of tiny noises came from the quiet courtyard.

Hua Shi looked in the direction of the sound and saw it coming from the small kitchen not far away in the corner...

"Bang,"

She pushed open the door and found the dim and messy little kitchen empty. The sound she had just heard seemed like an auditory hallucination.

“Squeak, squeak…”

This time I heard it clearly, it was the sound of a mouse.

When Hua Shi thought of that night and the bloody rat meat, goosebumps appeared again and she became suspicious.

She turned the small kitchen upside down, but there was nothing edible. How could there be a mouse looking for food?

Hua Shi hesitated a little and walked towards the corner where the sound came from.

“Squeak, squeak!”

A huge, black-haired mouse ran out from the pile of debris and went straight under Hua Shi's feet.

Hua Shi was startled.

This rat was terrifyingly large, a size larger than an ordinary rat, with a bulging belly, and moved very fast.

“Squeak…”

The mouse ran around Hua Shi's feet, but instead of going into the dark corner, it stopped at her feet and sniffed her trouser legs...

Flower time:?

She stomped her feet tentatively, but the mouse, which was almost lying at her feet, was not scared away. Instead, it continued to circle around her feet, as if something was attracting it.

This is……?

Hua Shi hesitated and was confused for a long time.

What's wrong with this mouse?

"Squeak, squeak, squeak."

The mouse was still circling around her feet, and even stopped when it saw Hua Shi. Its little claws were pulling at Hua Shi's trouser legs, trying to climb up her trouser legs.

Hua Shi was so scared that her hair stood on end. She shook her legs and took several steps back, but the mouse still followed her relentlessly.

Looking at the unusually excited and lively mouse, Hua Shi had a flash of thought and raised the palm with the spring...

Could it be because of the spring in her hand... ?

Hua Shi was hesitant and looked down at the palm of his hand.

“Squeak, squeak, squeak!!”

The mice surrounding Hua Shi's feet suddenly became extremely excited and squeaked non-stop when they saw Hua Shi raise her hand and stare at the spring.

Hua Shi took two steps back, and the mouse followed closely again, pulling at her trouser legs and even trying to jump on her directly.

This spring water not only can heal animals, but also has a special attraction to animals?

Hua Shi's mind moved, and a bold idea emerged in his mind.

She bent down slightly, and spring water flowed from her fingertips...

“…squeak, squeak, squeak!”

The mouse ran over excitedly, licking the spring water dripping on the ground, its short tail swinging up and down and left to right, extremely excited.

Only after the mouse was satisfied and stopped licking the spring water on the ground did Hua Shi withdraw his hand.

The mouse, which was full and satisfied, had no intention of leaving. Its two front paws were still tightly attached to Hua Shi's trouser legs, refusing to let go.

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